How To Get Rid Of Cucumber Beetle Naturally With 6 Effective Methods

Cucumber is one of the most popular fruit vegetables that are consumed by many people worldwide. Thanks to its versatility, cucumber cultivation is quite easy. But sadly, this plant is very vulnerable to pests, and the cucumber beetle is one of the pests that annoy the most.

The use of insecticides may be adequate to get rid of beetles. However, too much insecticide can damage your soil fertility and the environment. It will also be harmful to humans. And so, here we will provide some tips on how to get rid of cucumber beetle naturally!

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Cucumber Beetle Damage

There are several varieties of cucumber beetles. No matter how different they look, they will all destroy your precious cucumbers. It is easy to spot and assess cucumber beetle damage, but identifying the pests can be tricky sometimes.

The spotted and striped cucumber beetles both have a yellow-green or orange-green body, a black head, and black antennae. There are other varieties with a red coloration. The larvae of the beetles are thin creamy white maggots with brown heads.

If you see any signs of unwanted plant visitors, as mentioned above, maybe your plant is infected by beetles. At first, it may seem negligible, but eventually, if nothing is done, the beetle can threaten our plants.

Cucumber beetles can damage in at least three ways.

First, they are fed directly to the leaves and stems, which may inhibit our plant growth. When they feed on the cucumber flowers, too bad, it can reduce the yield!

Second, beetles can leave a scar on your cucumber. The scar will decrease the fruit’s market value. Although the scarred cucumber still tastes good for humans, it will sell at significantly low prices.

Last but not least, when a plant or an area is infected, there is a big risk that the beetles will spread and infect other plants in the area. The pest beetles will spread in no time! It will transmit bacterial wilt and mosaic virus, infecting the entire garden. Therefore, if you find any sign of an adult cucumber beetle or its larvae, you should get rid of them right away!

The young plant is very vulnerable to pests. If this baby is infected, you may end up with a crop failure! You can’t allow that to happen! Now that you’ve learned to asses cucumber beetle damage, you’ll know when to act!

How to Get Rid of Cucumber Beetle Naturally

When cucumbers are already infected with beetles, we should dispose of them immediately. Here are some of the best ways you can do to get rid of cucumber beetles.

#1 Check your cucumber regularly

This is a crucial step that you have to do regularly. Keep in mind to check your garden regularly for adult cucumber beetles, larvae, and eggs. If you find any, you can handpick them. Wear a pair of gloves and a pincer if you are squeamish.

Also, remove garden litter and other debris. Keep a closer eye on sprouts and seedlings, as they are very vulnerable to cucumber beetle damage due to their size.

You may need to plant the seeds indoors under a lamp to protect the vulnerable seedlings from unwanted damage. The more mature your plants are, the more they will be able to withstand attacks.

#2 Remove beetles and eggs

Beetles and their eggs are easy to spot in your plants. Picking eggs from leaves will ensure they do not hatch and you can prevent further infestation this way. Do not forget to check the underside of the leaves and inspect the stalk of the plant and remove visible eggs.

Because they are small, it may be a bit of a challenge to get rid of them manually. You can use disposable gloves and put petroleum jelly on your fingertips. Beetles and their eggs will stick to the petroleum jelly, which will make removal easier.

#3 Neem oil

This oil has been proven to be an excellent natural insecticide or fungicide, which is perfect for organic gardening. Use neem oil for leaf spray to repel insects. It works by disrupting the beetle’s development, preventing the beetle from feeding and reproducing, and causing them to die of hunger.

Be sure to apply when there are no bees and other beneficial pollinators because neem oil is slightly toxic for them.

Start with 1-2 teaspoons of pure neem oil, mix with ½ teaspoon of castile soap, and then mix with 1 quart of water. Do a test for the liquid, so a spray test on a leaf, and wait 24-48 hours. If the result is good, continue spraying the rest of the plant once a week.

Do not spray during the day because a combination of sun and oil could burn the plant.

#4 Garlic and pepper

The smell and taste of garlic and hot peppers can act as a deterrent to the cucumber beetle.

You can make your own spray by mixing six crushed garlic cloves, one tablespoon of dried hot peppers, and one tablespoon of Castile soap. Leave the mixture to rest for at least a day. Finally, strain the mixture and put it into a spray bottle for application.

Do a test spray on one leaf. If there is no adverse or bad reaction, spray the rest of the plant. Again, do not spray during the day when the sun is out because a combination of sun and oil could burn the plant.

#5 Use beneficial insect

Lady bugs, lacewing, spined soldier bugs, and beneficial nematodes are the best natural predators of harmful garden insects. they will eat beetles and the beetle’s egg. By relying on cucumber beetles’ natural enemies, you can significantly reduce the possibility of an outbreak. Introduce insect predators into your garden, and they can help eliminate and control the cucumber beetle population.

#6 Yellow sticky trap

If you are looking for the most effective way how to get rid of cucumber beetle naturally, setting up a trap is a good idea.

This trap is designed in yellow color, an attractive color for beetles, mimicking the color of squash and cucumber blossom. The trap also comes with a sweet smell lure to draw them in. It is both highly effective at catching beetles, and it is super easy to set up.

You can buy this stuff at your local garden center. In case you cannot find one, you can buy one online. And if you do not buy them, you can make your own beetle trap. There are a lot of tutorials on how to make cucumber beetle traps.

Here are several ways to against cucumber beetle. Hopefully, this article to be helpful, and may your battle against beetle show reward! Next, let’s learn how to deal with aphids on roses!