[tosca100]

We are resisting the Bulgarian way of spraying everything with chemicals as they use some pretty potent stuff. BG food is usually billed as 'organic local produce' but in fact they are rather trigger happy with the sprayers. Trouble is what is a bug to do if all around are spraying for annihilation of bugs (and weeds etc) Well, it seems it moves next door.

These little devils are the reason we risk putting potatoes in early so that they are ready to eat before they come out to play. Some spray constantly and grow potatoes in succession, but we will leave it now and just use what we have.

The dreaded Colorado beetle!




Others will say to feed them to the chooks, but as the taters are near the septic tank I think that is a fitting way for them to go!

[snowdrops]

They look like humbugs

[barley]

They look like humbugs

  I bet they don't taste like humbugs ewwwwwww

[surbie100]

They look like humbugs

  I bet they don't taste like humbugs ewwwwwww

 

[boddy]

oh my, and I thought I had problems!!
I'm trying to be as organic as possible, made my first garlic spray yesterday and am using coffee grounds to deter slugs. I wasn't too opposed to using weed killer etc. until I met my former allotment owner. He advised me on all the chemicals to use and when to spray things off. Told me about how his allotment has fed him and his wife for thirty years. He then told me he was giving up as his wife had oesophageal cancer. I put 2 and 2 together and made 5! I know there are many other reasons why this poor lady got this terrible disease but I can't get the idea out of my head that there could be a link, especially as I will be feeding it to my kids. We eat supermarket produce which obviously has chemical used on it, however I haven't sprayed it directly myself with the kids in the vicinity and I might use higher concentrations by accident.
Good luck with being chemical free, especially with those beasties!!

[brokenglass]

Are Colarado Beetles notifiable in Bulgaria?       

Always a dilemma if you try to use little or no chemical sprays when your neighbours use such as the outcome always appears to be that the Beasts end up on your Plot.

[Aunt Sally]

Their eggs are bright yellow and quite easy to spot and squash on the underside of the leaves.  Depends how many potatoes you're growing as to whether you have the time to do that.

[tosca100]

OH is diligently going round the potatoes looking for eggs, young and adults. We don't have many potatoes as this is our first year and we wanted to find out how bad the problem was before giving the space over. We might plant some more at the end of summer once the beetles have done their stuff as our season lasts well into autumn.

Are Colarado Beetles notifiable in Bulgaria?       

Always a dilemma if you try to use little or no chemical sprays when your neighbours use such as the outcome always appears to be that the Beasts end up on your Plot.

The authorities would never cope if it was notifiable, it is a national problem. It's a funny old country, there are laws protecting the environment, animals and people, but they are often ignored.