…… Save the bees, kill the bugs

bartender

Contributing Member
Does anyone have a way to get rid of the little june bug looking beetles and not harm the bees?
The bugs are eating our corn, squash and cucumbers. Now that we have blooms, we dont want to use sevin dust.
 

Martinhouse

Deceased
Not sure how to get rid of them besides hand-picking. I've heard them referred to as corn beetles and their larvae are like a smaller version of the June bug's grub worm, too.

I never had a lot of trouble with those in particular, but this year it appears that anything that is growing at all seems to be over-performing. For example, my kale and celery plants actually turned black from aphids, and some of my potato plants were over four feet high.
 

pauldingbabe

The Great Cat
Milky spore applied at the right temperature.

Beneficial nematodes for soil conditions and bugs.

Beneficial bugs....make a natural space for beneficial insects; ladybugs, mantisis, etc.

Practice good integrative pest management; cleanup around the foundations of your home, make sure you don't have standing water, keep yard waste gone and grass cut.

Get chickens and don't bother with all that other bullshit.

:chkn:
 

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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I've seen several vids using water/dish soap in a spray bottle. Have to spray the insects directly but using the mist setting does it. As long as you spray the insect and not directly spray the Bees it kills those it gets on plus you are not spraying the flowers anyway.
 

ktrapper

Veteran Member
I've seen several vids using water/dish soap in a spray bottle. Have to spray the insects directly but using the mist setting does it. As long as you spray the insect and not directly spray the Bees it kills those it gets on plus you are not spraying the flowers anyway.
This. We used to use a 2 gallon garden sprayer with dawn dish soap in it. Works on lots of garden pest. Really works good on tomato aphids.
I used to grow patches of corn for my uncle to make shine out of and we never used any kind of pesticide on it. We also hand picked bugs as well.
Basically it smothers them.
 
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