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Coolville, OH

I have a two-fold problem and need advice. First off we have had a MAJOR infestation of cucumber beetle in our area for several years.
Second, this area has a lot of large scale gardens, truck patches, and orchards that use a whole array of methods for insect control. It is appearing that the cucumber beetles are becoming resistant to anything we try unless it is in a realy concentrated format. (Down side is I literally burned the hide off two contenders last year. Now I know. Don't spray directly on the pumpkin no matter how many beetles are sucking the life out of it.)

We start tackling them in early May and they are just as plentiful as if we did nothing at all. Not just with the pumpkins, but the whole garden.

Any ideas. Here's the kicker. The ground is not mine. So I have to find something that is OK with the land owner.

2/17/2006 9:31:06 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

Try a systemic such as Admire. I have used it for a couple of years and it works great.

Being near a truck crop location you will always have a few beetles flying by. Hopefully they will not be flying out.

2/17/2006 11:07:30 PM

Coolville, OH

Thanks! Where is Admire available and what's the price run? I'm not just talking a few. I'm talking several thousands in a 10k sq ft garden/patch. They are more plentiful than the brown ladybugs (?Asian beetles). I want to be well-armed this year.

2/18/2006 10:46:50 AM

Coolville, OH

About using systemics, I'm not familiar enough with them to know. Can they be used on produce i.e. cukes, summer squash, tomatoes? If so, what kind of whithdrawal period are we looking at before consumption?

2/18/2006 10:22:21 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The active ingredient in Admire (imidacloprid - same as Merit) does not ever translocate into the fruit. Therefore it is labeled for us on edible Squash, Cucumbers & Pumpkins.

That side, imidacloprid resistant Potato Beetles are starting to show up so in areas of widespread use, resistant cucumber beetles are eventually going to show up somewhere.

Arena/Calypso is another systemic neonicotinoid insecticide in the same class as imidacloprid that might offer some short term relief before it also fails. It lasts just as long as Merit/Admire but it is slightly broader in spectrum & much faster to start killing.

2/18/2006 10:55:03 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

We carry both Admire and Merit at PumpkinSupply.com

2/19/2006 2:50:47 PM

Napa Valley, CA

Are you keeping your male flowers to a bare minimum ?? I reduced my cuke beetle population by 90% by eliminating all
unnecessary male flowers.

2/23/2006 4:19:56 AM