New... Have Tater Beetles :-(

[PineBurrowFarm]

I just went out to water my veggie garden and I noticed that my tater plants had some leaves looking a little funny, curled under at some edges, a few holes here and there. In I went and parted the leaves and sure enough there lay the culprit, striped potato beetles, and as if their presence weren't enough to tick me off, they were fornicating in my plant! The nerve, in broad daylight! LMAO

Ok, now how do I get rid of em?

I have a ton of stuff planted and doing really well and the thought of these little critters eating my fall and winter grub is really getting under my skin!
Thanks in Advance!
-Jenna
Who needs to make a siggy...

PS- I have chickens who I free range during the day but my garden is fenced, should I let them in to eat the bugs? I worry they will eat my plants!!

 

[newchickwi]

I've hand-picked before--actually hand-knocked--them into a container of soapy water. Be sure to crush the eggs that they lay on the underside of the leaves (one of the few times I wear gloves in the garden!!). I hope my chickies like them; the chicks are teens and our weather has been so nasty that the taters are just breaking ground , so no bugs yet...and babies still in the house....

 

[Tink]

Hey...we have these too! Now that I know what they are I am picking them off by hand. We are trying to stay organic in our garden. The lady bugs are having a grand time feasting on everything. We went from picking off probably 30 or so bugs to only two yesterday.....so keep up the good work.
Tink
ps the funny thing is...they were all over our tomato's and not on our potatoe's!!!

 

[Reinbeau]

I'm hand-picing them, too. While you're at it, though turn over the potato leaves and look for clusters or orange eggs - rub them off with your finger.

 

[PineBurrowFarm]

Ick, I hate bugs...

 

[NurseNettie]

I haven't grown any before ( and may be a bit late in getting any in for this year- but we only bought our place in March and have had only so much time to work with it but the people in the area here all hand pick the potato bugs and drop them in soapy water. Might be a fun thing for my stepson to do when he comes up for the summer at the end of the month!! He was here for the weekend (his first visit here) and was so dying to work in the garden that he was pulling up dandelions from the edges of the garden!

 

[mooman]

If his visit coincides with thier arrival your in luck...otherwise you'll have to do it. Once they show up, they will eat entire plants in days. there is no waiting a week with those #@%*&#!