[snowdrops]

Asparagus, how long to I need to carry on my twice daily crunch & squish regime for the asparagus beetle & offspring? I planted the crowns last year & can’t remember having to do this last year. I must be missing the eggs, (they are very tiny aren’t they?) as every day x 2 when I got to see the chickens I check. I must remove up to 20 beetles a day & more caterpillars/grubs.

[Aunt Sally]

They are very difficult to control by squishing.  You could use the organic contact insecticide pyrethrum.  But squishing is the only other way.

Burn or remove the old fronds so that you remove some of the over wintering beetles.

This is the RHS advice:

• The beetles overwinter in sheltered places such as grass tussocks or piles of vegetation. 
  They emerge in May and June and lay elongate black eggs that are attached by one end to the asparagus spears and foliage
  The adult beetles can fly and are very adept at locating patches of asparagus
  The creamy greyish-black larvae reach up to 10mm long (3/8in) when fully grown
  They pupate in the soil
  There are two generations between May and September
  In the autumn, adult beetles seek sheltered places where they overwinter.
  
  So, you’ll be on squishing duty until September 
  

[jezza]

Hello theres an organic way of getting rid of the beetles,you've already mentioned it  they cluck and lay eggs put a wire fence round the asparagus bed and put the little workers in free manure and a cleaned up bed   jezza

[snowdrops]

Thanks both, I’ve e got chickens but they are in a secure run, not sure I could fence in the asparagus bed, but it’s worth looking at, do you mean in the autumn, for the overwintering beetles?
Also I went a walk round this evening & saw another plot with asparagus & that was covered in caterpillars

[Jonathan]

The question of neighbours is a tricky one. I get on well with mine, but noticed today that his balding asparagus patch is riddled with beetles, eggs & grubs. I've been combing through mine & squashing all stages 2 or 3 times a week but realise I will never eradicate the things while new stock can fly a few yards over the boundary. What to do . . .

[basketcase]

Maybe knock on the door and say "Hi. I was getting rid of bugs in my asparagus and noticed you had even more than I did! Want help/me to get rid of them, so we don't keep reinfecting each other?"

Or aren't they that kind of neighbour?