Striped Cucumber Beetles!

The big discovery of this morning was that our tiny summer squash, cucumber, and pumpkin plants are being heavily eaten by striped cucumber beetles. I visited the MOFGA pest report from last week, June 8th (www.mofga.org/Publications/PestReports/PestReports2010.aspx) and learned that I can use an organic pesticide called pyrethrum on the beetles. Pyrethrum is made from the crushed flowers of the chrysanthemum plant (you know, those colorful daisy-like flowers that everyone buys at Halloween). I went to the nursery and got some and will apply it tonight, as the beetles are most active in the morning and evening, so this is the best time to apply.

How sad it is to see so many of the little plants filled with holes, and some of them dead entirely. Everyone cross their fingers that we can get ahead of the beetles, and ensure a cucumber, squash, and pumpkin harvest!