I’ve been seeing spotted cucumber beetles for the last two years and I think I need to spray something. Last year there were just a few but I’m already noticing damage and several plants have only just started growing. What can I spray that won’t hurt my squash and cucumbers?
Cucumber beetles will become worse and worse if infestations are left untreated. They “overwinter” or hibernate which means you already have a lot that were around from last year. What you will probably notice is that the activity in the garden will get worse sooner and sooner in the growing season as the population gets larger. The time to treat is early in the season to head off trouble for this years plants.
Apply some Vegetables Plus with Spreader Sticker as soon as you suspect the cucumber beetles have begun to feed. Treat 1-2 times a month until you don’t see anymore. Spray the ground too since adults lay eggs in the soil and the hatching larvae feed on plant roots as explained in our Cucumber Beetle Control article. Treating the ground around the infested plants will usually help in the long run to break the life cycle and in turn keep your garden cucumber free.
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