Controlling cucumber beetles

[LoreD]

I garden at a community garden in the middle of a wooded preserve area. There are only a few of us so the other plots are covered with waist high weeds.
During late July and August, striped cucumber beetles come as a huge swarm from this field and attack everything in sight. Literally thousands of beetles will be crawling over my plants. I have tried BT, radish, insecticidal soap, and just about everything else. They attack my corn, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash. I have heard that Tansy works, and have finally found it in the Shumway catalog. Do I interplant or just plant around the perimeter. Also Tansy is poisonous, is this a problem for the wildlife?

[Pharmerphil]

Tansy may help deter some of the beetles; however, they are very persistent. Tansy, depending on where you live, can be fairly invasive.
Most likely, the beetle attacking your corn is a similiar critter, the
Corn rootworm beetle:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Phlaura/CBe.jpg

The approach I use to control of the cuke beetle and many OTHER Critters is an Integrated system.
Now you all have probably heard of Neem and Karanja oil Neem is available almost everywhere and is used by a whole buncha companies in organic garden pest controls;however, in most of these sprays, it is in Very Dilute amounts.
It is also sold as the primary ingredient in 'safe' Fungicides, again DILUTED. The Oil I use is, 100% cold pressed oil.
First we must...KNOW YOUR ENEMY

His life cycle, his eating habits.Striped cucumber beetle adults over winter in protected locations such as in woodland lifter and under soil. Early in the spring they feed on blossoms and leaves of cultivated and wild host plants.
Then they burrow into the soil, multiply, and come back with a vengance.
For this I use a two-step approach.
cucumber beetle traps: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Phlaura/Phunny%20Pharm%20Pix/Trap.jpg

These margarine tubs were coated with tanglefoot, and 1 small drop of eugenol was added, you can get this at Walmart Pharmacy. (they Must be Yellow!)
I stapled them to a stake and placed them at 20 foot intervels around the perimeter of the garden, and the same for the Giant Pumpkin plots.
My traps collected 12 in the first 4 days, in early June, then it rained and rained :( ,things got really busy in August!

And Neem Cake (the name is mis-leading, it's a graulated brown,garlicky smellin' substance)
I till this in at a rate of 1 pound per 150 sq. feet of soil, when preparing the garden in the spring. I also use it as a side-dressing...It worked WONDERS for the sweetcorn!
Neem Cake is the residue from the seed they extract the neem oil from.
Residual amounts of the oil help control the larvae and the burrowing adults It also provides a N.P.K. of 4-1-1.

As with any insect,Timing of applications, is important! Striped cucumber beetles appear to be most active between dusk and dawn, suggesting that insecticides (contact sprays) applied in the evening may be more effective against this pest.
NEVER SPRAY ANY SOLUTION..ORGANIC OR CHEMICAL IN THE SUNLIGHT,NEAR DAYLIGHT OR WITH A CLOUD COVER, THE SUN CAN ALWAYS FOOL YOU...AND YOU WILL "SCORCH" YOUR PLANTS! ALSO..."ORGANIC" DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CAN BE CARELESS, ALWAYS FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS AND WARNINGS.

Ok, Now they spray I use: I add I teaspoon of an emulsifier(any dish soap,DO NOT USE ANTI-BACTERIAL SOAP), to a quart of WARM Water. Add 1 and 1/3 ounce of Neem Oil, 2/3 ounce of Karanja oil, and MIX WELL!!!, it will look milky.Add this to 1 and 3/4 gallons of water,MIX.You Know have 2 gallons of spray solution. This is poured into a sprayer of any type and sprayed on the plants(the undersides Too!, stems and the fround, IT MAY ALSO BE USED AS A SOIL DRENCH. use at 7-11 day intervels, 4-5 times a season. Using Neem Oil alone WILL NOT be as effective, but can be used mixed to a 0.5 percent solution. This ratio is also the rate for FUNGICIDAL APPLICATION.
I will add some mug shots in the next post :eek:

[Pharmerphil]

Some MUG SHOTS!
Stripped cuke beetle:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Phlaura/Phunny%20Pharm%20Pix/stripededit.jpg
spotted cuke beetle:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Phlaura/Phunny%20Pharm%20Pix/PosterBeetle2edit.jpg
And of course, the variety found in California, is alot fancier:
Banded cuke beetle:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Phlaura/Phunny%20Pharm%20Pix/bandCucumberBtl.jpg

[johno]

What is karanja oil and who sells it?