In the upcoming weeks, be on the look for cucumber beetles because they are a difficult pest to manage. Several cultural practices can be applied to prevent infestations from becoming severe. At planting time, you can place mulch around cucurbits (cucumber, melons, and squash) to deter cucumber beetle adults from laying eggs near the plants. Removing mulch and debris after harvest can reduce the number of overwintering sites for striped cucumber beetles in the fall. If you detect signs of bacterial wilt where the cucumber plant wilts and does not come back, be sure to remove the infected plants quickly so that cucumber beetles are unable to feed on them and spread the disease. Destroy the infected plants.
Early detection is critical, so be sure to regularly scout throughout the growing season. When you detect two or more beetles per plant or when estimated defoliation of leaves reaches 25%. Once cucumber beetles reach threshold levels, management action should be taken to avoid extensive injury to the infested crop. Organic options include products such as neem oil, spinosad, and pyrethrin. These products can reduce populations or at least deter feeding; however, they do not have long-lasting residuals. Conventional products like carbaryl (Sevin), permethrin, and pyrethroids can be effective. When using any insecticide in the garden, be sure to time applications for when pollinators will be least active toward evening, and read and follow the label directions