If you happen to spot some small striped or spotted beetles crawling on your cucumber plants, you are probably looking at cucumber beetles. They may also show up on your squash, pumpkins, and melons because these insects will eat any member of the cucurbit family.
How do I protect my cucumber leaves?
If a sudden cold snap is forecast, cover the cucumbers. The plants can be covered with whatever you have on hand– old bed sheets, plastic, newspaper, or other light material. Push some sturdy sticks into the ground around the plants to support the covering and weigh down the corners with stones.
Why are there holes in my cucumber leaves?
The adult beetles make ragged holes in the leaves and flowers, while the larvae feed on plant roots. Striped and spotted cucumber beetles feed on plants and spread disease. Your first line of defense is to plant beetle-resistant varieties.
What to spray on cucumbers for bugs?
Bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, or cypermethrin will control cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers, and pickleworms, but wait 3, 7, or 1 days, respectively, after spraying and before harvest. Table 1. Natural, Less Toxic Pesticides & Contact Pesticides to Control Cucurbit Insect Pests.
What could be eating my cucumbers?
Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers and other pests can attack cucumbers. Some of these pests also transmit diseases.
What animal is eating my cucumber plants at night?
Slugs and Snails: The green color of cucumber leaves is sometimes enough to entice slugs and snails. They will attack the plant when it is sleeping, and if they are not stopped, these animals may kill plants in a relatively short length of time and completely.
What bug eats cucumber leaves?
Cucumber beetles
Cucumber beetles and flea beetles can find crops shockingly fast, so it’s best to be prepared with a physical barrier over them as soon as possible. Prevention is key; once you have those pests they can be tough to manage.
How do I get rid of bugs eating my leaves?
Vegetable Oil
Use 1 tablespoon of mild soap (like dish soap or castile soap) to 1 cup of vegetable oil. Mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil mix to 1 quart of water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the top and bottom of each leaf where the insects are dwelling and the stems if needed.
Should I cut off leaves with holes?
You should remove leaves with holes if they are caused due to a disease. This will help prevent spread of the disease if it’s a fungal problem. You can also remove leaves with holes if you are growing the plant for aesthetic appeal. You should remove leaves with holes if the major portion of the leaf is damaged.
What does cucumber beetle damage look like?
Identifying Cucumber Beetle Damage
Look for holes and yellowing and wilting leaves. Feeding on flowers can reduce fruit production, and direct feeding on fruits causes unattractive scars and pock marks on the fruit, too.
Will soapy water get rid of cucumber beetles?
Many growers wonder whether they can spray soapy water on their plants to kill cucumber beetles, but, this isn’t super effective. Just plain soapy water from your house won’t kill cucumber beetles, you need something more potent. We recommend trying a plant wash, such as neem oil.
What is the best insecticide for cucumber?
A combination of pyrethrin insecticides and neem can effectively manage cucumber beetle, though you will likely need to apply more than once. Pyrethrins are contact insecticides that will kill most insects, including beneficials, so take care to apply either early or later in the day.
What home remedy kills cucumber beetles?
Alternatively, make your own mixture by combining 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil with a gallon of water. Insecticidal soap will kill cucumber beetles and other insect pests on contact.
What is eating my plant leaves at night?
If you see holes or ragged chunks of leaves disappearing and the damage has been occurring slowly, with a little feeding each night, beetles, caterpillars, earwigs or slugs may be the culprits. To distinguish among these four look for signs, or evidence, left behind.
What animal eats whole cucumber leaves?
Rabbits are definitely high up on the list of likely suspects for your missing cucumber plants. With a diet that consists of 75% leafy greens, they will decimate your cucumber plants by eating the nutrient rich leaves, shoots and flowers.
What does aphids look like?
Aphids are small, 1/16- to 1/8-inch-long (2-4 mm), pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects. They can range in color from green, black, red, yellow, brown or gray. Mature aphids can be wingless or can have wings. Winged aphids are similar in color but are a little darker.
Do squirrels eat cucumber plants?
Other squirrel favorites include beans, squash, cucumbers, and eggplants.
Do birds eat cucumber leaves?
Birds will often eat cucumber seeds and flesh, and some will eat cucumber skin, too. Birds may occasionally also pluck at the leaves on a cucumber vine and peck off the blooms before they get the chance to germinate.
How do I keep animals from eating my plants?
Use a DIY hot sauce spray
The first spray is a homemade hot pepper mixture you can use to help make your plants taste bad. You’ll want to mix 1 cup of aromatic leaves from plants that animals avoid such as marigolds, 1 ounce of hot pepper sauce, 4 drops of natural dish soap, and 1-2 cups of water.
What do cucumber bugs look like?
Depending on the species, common cucumber beetles are spotted or striped. Both types grow just 1/4 inch in length. Spotted types have black heads and 12 black spots on greenish-yellow wing coverings. Striped types have black heads and three black stripes running down yellow-orange wing covers.
What deters cucumber beetles?
Flowers like nasturtium and marigolds, an herb such as catnip, and veggies like radishes and corn help keep cucumber beetles away.