Stinkin bean beetles!!!

[nachoqtpie]

Spo... we were trying to get away with being 100% organic this year. ESPECIALLY after reading the newest Monsanto disaster!

Well, I've been noticing that our beans had some holes in the leaves... and I didn't do anything about it but squish a few bugs when I seen them. Yesterday I went to the garden with the hubs and EVERY SINGLE PLANT looked like it had been assaulted but an army with small guns! So... off to Lowes I went to get something to kill all these tiny little ladybug looking bugs... but I knew they weren't ladybugs because they weren't red! They were like a real light grey-orange color. So, I get to Lowes and I tell the guy what the bug looks like and that they are eating my beans. He immediately takes me over to the Sevins. When I tell him that we are trying to have an organic garden he just kind of looked at me like I'd shot his dog! LOL

Finally we found the Organic garden section and I settled on Natria Multi-Insect Control. The only thing that is bothering me is that the ingredients say 96% Canola Oil and 4% Other... what's the other??? And why can't I just rub canola oil on my plants? LOL

After I sprayed it down it did look like there were significantly less bugs than before. That was last night... I'm going to go out there and peek at them here in a few before I wake my daughter up!

OH! Also... the new tomato plants that we put in about a week ago... the leaves at the bottom are starting to turn yellow??? Do you think I need to water them more? Yesterday they were a bit wilty when I went out to water.

 

[digitS']

The government considers some things as "inert" so the companies do not have to list them as ingredients. So, they don't . . .

The canola on your cabinet shelf is probably just like what is in your sprayer, just food grade. But, I'm only guessing.

I can see most any oil killing things like aphids and spider mites. I can also see a beetle just leaving the scene and returning on another day. Tiny pests that cannot fly would likely smother no matter what oil is sprayed on them.

This will be the 1st year for me to try Spinosad. It is supposed to be especially effective against caterpillars but unlike some of the insecticides in this class, kill a wider range of bugs. I will be counting on it if I'm faced with potato beetles on my eggplants again.

Aging leaves do very little for the plant and it is natural for them to yellow and drop off. Wilty is something you generally want to avoid but you also want those tomato plants to send roots searching for soil moisture. That is why it is important to get the water down to some depth while also allowing the soil surface to dry a little between waterings.

. . . hope this helps.

Steve

 

[nachoqtpie]

Well... The did look better last night when I went out there... my neighbor gave me the tomato plants and I put them in the ground in the evening. I also put some shredded paper around the bases to try and help keep some of the water from drying up so fast. It's been SO hot here! It's currently 10:30AM and 97 degrees. Is the paper a good idea or a bad idea??

I'm HOPING that I don't have to use anything worse than what I did... any other ideas on how to keep these things away??

 

[nachoqtpie]

Hmmmm... so... I just read an article that says

You can also try spraying some crushed turnips mixed with corn oil on your plants too, as well as spraying cedar sawdust and chips previously boiled in water.

So... do they mean like cedar shavings like you would get at a pet store and boil it in water?

 

[digitS']

I think you did the right thing with those plants. Maybe get a little newspaper "tent" or something out there to shade them. Just drive a stake close to them and wrap newspaper half way around the stake - holding it down with a couple of rocks. That would shade a small plant. Or, prop up some lawn chairs. Just to get them thru the middle of the day.

Turnips? Cedar sawdust tea??

I'll tell you what I do: I do google searches with a "site:edu" . . . That will get me the Cooperative Extension sites. I can say that a lot of people have good ideas but I can also say that a lot of people have some really wild ideas! The internet sure gives them the chance to spread them around!

At least, getting ideas from our land-grant universities is making use of some of that taxpayer money we are giving them for doing this kind of work . . .

Steve

 

[annageckos]

Cedar makes sense. I use cedar oil mixed with water to make a spray to help repel biting bugs. I use it on myself and the dogs. I don't know how it would work on plants. I wouldn't think it would hurt any. In my garden I use mostly DE when needed. Crushed eggshells around the base of plants keep slugs/snails away. And soapy water sprayed onto the bugs if it gets bad. But I have yet to have to do that to the veggies.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Well... the ones from my neighbor are used to being outside... she started them outside! LOL

 

[hoodat]

Steve I've had really good results with Spinosad. It's the only thing that helps on that new African bug that's invading the brassicas in our area. The only thing about it that I don't like is that it's harmful to bees so I try to avoid flowering plants they are feeding on and spray it as late in the evening as I can and still see what I'm doing.

 

[digitS']

Good to know, Hoodat.

I will probably be at the end of the line with the eggplants if Spinosad doesn't work for potato bugs. About the only other thing I can think of for eggplant is to hide them amongst everything else.

That seemed to work for the ones I had between the zucchini last year. However, the spacing had better be right if I do that again. Eggplant can't compete with squash here.

Honestly, 5 years ago or so, I had no idea that Bacillus thuringiensis variety san diego/tenebrionis was a GMO! I used that bottle year after year expecting it to lose effectiveness but it really worked. I could probably still find it somewhere but I won't go that route.

Dang potato bugs!

Steve