Soon they'll be back....Cucumber Beetles

One of the most frequent & persistent pests is the spotted or striped cucumber beetle. Seen these trouble makers around in your garden? Some insects just target one plant or a plant family. These beetles bother many crops including flowers, and are particularly devastating to vine crops. The adults chew on stem & leaf material. Usually it's not just the chewing that harms the plant, but these insects carry disease in their mouth parts that they spread to plants. By the time you see the adults, they have already laid eggs near the root system of your plants. The eggs hatch & the larvae feed on the plant roots. So don't wait till you see a lot these beetles before doing something, they are already multiplying. Several types of dusting powder, including organic types are very effective like Sabadilla or Rotenone. Keep at it, as they mature from larvae to adults, you will need to continue to dust. These beetles are about the size of a lady bug, but more oblong. Normally there are more striped yellow & black cucumber beetles, then spotted around this area, both are bad.