My River Nile and B. convovulacea have been infested with spotted cucumber beetles. Does anyone know a way to discourage them? I hate to use a pesticide since I have insect predators that I really don't want to kill. The numbers of beetles continues to grow and I need to do something quickly. Thanks in advance!
Tommie
Pest help needed ASAP...
Looks like no one knew how to help you. I usually hand pick them myself though I have never had them bother my begonias.
I have used Bayer Tree and Shrub which is a root pour so you do not spray. It is a systemic and 1 application lasts up to a year. It does not name cucumber beetles on the label but it seems to have helped here in the past. What I did is pick just a couple of brugs that the beetles seemed to really love so I did not have to treat all of them. The beetles would stop for a bite and then fly on to the next world.
http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/Tree-Shrub-Insect-Control/concentrate.html
Good luck!
I ended up dusting them with diazinon.That killed them, but sure wasn't very attractive, fortunately we had a good rain and it all washed off. They did a number on several plants though. This is the damage on B. richmondensis, as you can see it is almost defoliated. (It is better now than it was) I was afraid they would kill it. I hated to use the dust but when it is Me or Them--THEY gotta go!! They really did a number on River Nile too. Not all plants were damaged, they obviously found some tastier than others.
What a shame but glad you got rid of them all. I haven't really seen many cucumber beetles this year at all. I wonder where they all went.
you can stop worrying, they are vacationing in the Ozarks!!
LOL!