Colorado potato beetle

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Toosje

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Colorado potato beetle
« on: June 13, 2018, 08:28 »
Hello there, good gardeners,

over the last few weeks I have been in the garden, for hours, killing colorado potato beetle babies.

We thought we had it under control, but yesterday a new batch seemed delivered through the post. Tiny and chewing away.

We really don't want to use pesticides; there is are bee hives on the plots.

Now I looked up a remedie in a book I often use and I was wondering if any of you has experience using a parasite or another natural remedie. I have never tried something like this.

Thanks!



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mumofstig

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Re: Colorado potato beetle
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2018, 08:52 »
Fortunately the pest is extremely rare in the UK and outbreaks are notifiable to the relevant government department responsible for eradicating it, so members here will have no experience with it.

I hope you do find something that works - good luck.

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Dr_Pepper

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Re: Colorado potato beetle
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2018, 12:14 »
Hi Toosje,

Firstly, I am not qualified to advise on chemical use in Holland and I am not sure what the regulations for home gardeners are there - so this is not advice - purely an observation!

'Parasite' - Biological control is probably possible with nematodes (get the correct species though), which will attack the soil-dwelling pupae. Need to get the timing right - i.e. when the larvae have fed sufficiently and have dropped of the plant. Tricky to get right.

'Natural remedies' - In some countries organically-acceptable pesticides that are legal would be natural pyrethrum, spinosad or neem oil product.These would be the 'greenest' option to kill adults and larvae on the plants. They are 'broad spectrum' (kill most bugs) but short persistence on the crop - so very little effect on other insects if used as a spot-treatment. Of the 3, a neem product will do the least damage to other insects. When spraying any pesticide, even naturally-derived ones, growers should try to apply when bees are not active and close them in the hive until the spray has dried on the plants if possible.

Keeping areas of your plot for wild flowers and other natural vegetation can also increase populations of the larger predatory bugs that feed on various different pests and their eggs.


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Toosje

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Re: Colorado potato beetle
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2018, 21:19 »
Thank you Dr. Pepper,

In the mean time I continued catching them and it seems under control again. I will look at the neem option. Using parasites does require some more investigation, as you say it is tricky to get it wright and to be honest: I don't have the time for that at this moment.

The bee hives are not owned by the plot holders: I didn't put it correct. There is a part where bee keepers can put their bee hives. There is about 8 now, owned by different bee keepers so I would have to contact each of them.

We have several patches with wild flowers on our plot, but the environment can definitely use an 'upgrade'. There is bare patches as well where we filter weeds and are busy laying out a good system for water management.

Hopefully next year there won't be an outbreak.



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