earth-wise guide to
Beetles
• Use floating row cover • Remove dead plant materials and debris from garden
PEST beetles:
There are many types of beetles in the Austin area, many of them beneficial. The two most common groups of pest beetles are listed below.
Flea Beetles:
Attack:
Many vegetables including cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, potatoes and corn
Least Toxic Solutions For All Beetles
Damage:
Flea Beetle
“Shot gun” pattern feeding damage on leaves and may also spread diseases such as potato blight and bacterial wilt. Larvae feed underground on roots
• Treat soil with beneficial nematodes • Check for damage early and often
Flea Beetle Solutions:
• Irrigate efficiently. Drought stressed plants are more susceptible to damage • Try companion planting with catnip, sage and mint to repel beetles • Plant trap crops (mustard is good)
Striped Flea Beetle
These beetles are beneficial and cause no damage in the garden. They feed on aphids, caterpillars and other garden pests.
helpful beetles:
Cucumber Beetles:
Attack:
All members of the squash and cucumber family
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Damage:
Minimal feeding damage, however they spread diseases such as bacterial wilt and squash mosaic virus that can kill plants
Ground Beetle
Cucumber Beetle Solutions:
Banded Cucumber Beetle
• Choose disease resistant squash plants such as Cougar, Destiny III, Liberator III, Sunglo and Sunray • Use trellises to get plants off the ground and mulch heavily around plants
Ground Beetle
Striped Cucumber Beetle
Lady Bird Beetle
product toxicity comparisons*
(not for endorsement purposes)
Toxicity/Threat:
low low to moderate high highest N/A not applicable ? unknown toxicity
Hazards:
human toxicity aquatic birds, bees, soil environmental mobility persistence life pets acute chronic
least toxic
Copper Barrier Tape Safer® BioNEEM® (azadirachtin/neem oil extract) Bonide® Hot Pepper WaxTM Ready to Use (capsaicin) [repellent only]
Green Light Neem Concentrate (neem oil extract) Concern® Mult-Purpose Insect Killer (piperonyl butoxide)
®
non-chemical control ? non-chemical control
? ? ?
?
?
Schultz® Fruits and Vegetables Insect Spray (piperonyl butoxide and pyrethrins)
High-Yield® Malathion Insect Spray (malathion)
?
?
/
Ortho Orthene Systemic Insect Control Concentrate (acephate/Orthene®)
® ®
most toxic
Bonide® EightTM Insect Control Garden Dust (permethrin)
Green Light Sevin 5% Dust Carbaryl Insecticide (carbaryl/Sevin)
® ®
* The City of Austin and Texas Cooperative Extension provide this information as a comparative reference of products commonly found at local retailers. Listing of specific product trade name does not constitute an endorsement of its use. Many alternative products are available and may be suitable for use. Products rated by the Washington Toxics Coalition. Contact Philip Dickey at 206-632-1545 for rating information, or see the Grow Green Products fact sheet.
The Grow Green program educates Austin area residents on the LEAST TOXIC approach to pest management and responsible fertilizer use. Our goal is to reduce the amount of landscape chemicals that “runoff” into our waterways or leach into our groundwater and degrade water quality. Grow Green is a partnership between the City of Austin Watershed Protection and Development Review Department and the Texas Cooperative Extension. Call 974-2550 or 854-9600 for more information or visit our website at www.growgreen.org.
Why Grow Green?
• Avoid applying the more toxic pesticidesthey destroy beneficial insects as well as pests and leave trees and shrubs unprotected. • Apply only to plants specified on the label--some formulations injure tender ornamental plants and new growth. • Avoid systemic pesticides on vegetables and edible plants. Systemic pesticides are taken up by the plant and make its tissues and fluids toxic to the feeding beetles
If you must use a pesticide
974-2550
854-9600
Grow Green encourages least toxic solutions
www.growgreen.org
02/05