There is something eating the leaves on my green plants and the plants are starting to die. The bugs that I have seen in the garden are little yellow ladybug looking things. I've also seen them on my corn and eating my summer squash. Help before these things take over my garden!!!
Slugs ate my beans.
Without seeing a picture my guess that the beetles you are seeing are Mexican Bean Beetles. If you have a small crop of beans you can hand pick the beetles and crush them or drop them into a pail of soapy water. Also be on the lookout for egg clusters on the underside of the leaf. The larval form of this pest can also do significant damage. The larvae are yellow/orange and look like a little pin cushion. I would avoid spraying with an insecticide for obvious reasons.
Is there something that I can put in the garden or spray on it to get rid of the bugs? I did some research and they are Mexican Bean Beatles. Problem is that they are getting into my corn and now my squash blossoms. Is the only way picking them out by hand?
Because these are crops that you plan to eat your best bet is an insecticidal soap or Neem Oil. They are not as effective as the non organic insecticides but will help to keep the population under control. Lady bugs will also help keep the population down by predation of the beetles eggs and larvae. The problem with spraying is that you can also kill off the beneficial insect population. You would be surprised at how well you can control the beetle population by hand picking. Floating row covers are another option but by the time you start shelling out $ you would probably be better off picking your beans and squash at an air conditioned market. Ain't vegetable gardening fun?
I've had good luck with neem oil, but it does kill beneficials too, as posted above. Just don't spray it during the heat of the day. It is an oil and will cook your plants alive.
