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Dealing with Potato Bugs in Your Garden : A Complete pathfinder
If you’re a gardening enthusiast, you may have encountered a common pest that can wreak havoc on your potato plants – the dreaded potato bug.
Potato bug is also have a go at it as Colorado potato mallet or potato beetles , these dirt ball can quickly wipe out your Solanum tuberosum harvest if leave alone unchecked .
But fear not ! In this blog post , we ’ll discuss what potato microbe are , how to key them , and effective methods to deal with them .
Another blighter called a murphy bug is the Jerusalem Cricket but it is a different mintage as is the Woodlouse or Pillbug .
What are Potato Bugs?
Potato bug are diminished , yellow , and black - striped beetle that belong to to the family Chrysomelidae .
They are ill-famed for overrun potato plant and are deliberate a major pest in many potato - growing regions .
distaff potato bugs lay bright orange - yellow egg on the underside of potato leaves , and the hatched larvae are known for their greedy appetite , feeding on the foliage of potato plant life .
Colorado potato beetles , specially their larvae , will also deplete other plants in your garden .
Anything in the Solanaceae ( nightshade ) home is a target , and they will quite happily crunch on your eggplants , tomatoes , and peppercorn plants .
Identifying Potato Bugs
place potato hemipteran is crucial to take appropriate action against them .
The grownup mallet are about 3/8 of an inch in length , ellipse - shape , and have yellowish - white bodies with contraband stripes on their wing covers .
Some identify them as icteric - orangeness with band but I have only see to it the yellowish - livid .
They also have classifiable pitch-black spots on their thorax .
The larva , on the other hand , are plump , prominence - punt , and reddish - orange with black spots on their side .
Eradicating Potato Bugs from Your Garden
Handpicking
One of the mere , most efficacious methods and earth - favorable way to command potato hemipterous insect is handpicking .
Wear boxing glove and cautiously remove the adult beetle , larvae , and eggs from your potato works . ( glove wear upon is my preference )
Drop them into a bucket of soapy water to kill them .
Be certain to check the underside of the leave of absence where the eggs are commonly laid . They will hang to the leaves and need to be manually rubbed off .
Some have you shake the beetles into a pail of soapy water .
Vacuuming- This is similar to handpicking in the gumption that you have to manually search for beetles .
There are special garden “ bug vac ” , or simply a handheld “ Duster Buster ” vacuum will do the task .
This is noisy but does employment . It also works on other types of microbe , like Nipponese Beetles .
Neem Oil
Neem fossil oil is a natural pesticide that can be used to ascertain potato bugs .
amalgamate neem oil concentrate according to the manufacturer ’s pedagogy and spray it on your potato plant , pay special attention to the undersides of the leaves .
you’re able to also ascertain it quick to spray .
Neem oil whole works by interrupt the eating and reproductive capabilities of Irish potato bugs , in effect controlling their population .
Note : Just because it is natural and organic does not mean it is safe for exercise in your garden , it will also shoot down the beneficial bugs you need in your garden .
Companion Planting
Planting certain crops as companions to white potato can help deter potato bugs .
For example , catnip , and tansy are known to drive back potato hemipteron due to their solid odour .
Plant these companion works with your potato plants as a natural hindrance .
Both of these plant life are perennial and tough .
It has been found that the tansy or a nepeta ( of which catnip is part of the family ) must be planted in the same bed and not just around it .
Coriander , dill , fennel , sweet-smelling genus Alyssum , buckwheat , and cosmos will draw in good insects . ( more later on beneficial louse )
Crop Rotation
Potato bugs can overwinter in the soil , so practicing harvest revolution can help reduce their universe .
Avoid planting white potato in the same spot year after yr and rather turn out them with other crops to disrupt the lifecycle of potato bugs .
The nepeta or Tanacetum vulgare will need to be transplanted too but they are tough and can take it !
Mulching
Mulching can be an effective technique to conquer potato bugs .
Use a layer of stalk or wood chip shot around your potato plants to make a roadblock , the adult insect do n’t like to cross mulch barriers when travel over the grunge .
Natural Predators
lifelike predators can be of nifty help in finagle Colorado potato beetles . Lady beetles , birds , predatory reek bugs , ground beetle , parasitic wasps , toad , and lacewings will are instinctive predators of the egg , larvae , and adult beetle .
Set yourchickens loose(under supervision of course ) on industrial plant over a foot tall and they will fill themselves full of mallet and larvae .
Gardening with Chickens
Gardening with crybaby , yes it is possible . Everyone acknowledge that chicken are enceinte for offer us with orchis and making delicious smasher , but did you sleep with that keeping chickens in your garden is really unspoiled for it ?
Buying beneficial insects like nematode and the diminutive parasitical waspEdovum puttleriis also an option .
Prevention of Potato Bugs
In improver to dealing with tater germ in your garden using the methods cite above , there are also preventive standard you may take to keep tater microbe forth .
Here are some tried and dependable tips …
Use Row Covers
Floating dustup masking are perchance the easiest and best elbow room to prevent Colorado potato beetle from getting into and infesting your crops .
quarrel cover are lightweight textile covers that can be come in over your potato plant life to physically impede potato hemipteran from get at them .
This can be particularly useful during the point time of year when Solanum tuberosum bugs are most active .
Remember to secure the edges of the words cover tightly to the earth to prevent any col where the pesky bugs can move into .
Choose Resistant Potato Varieties
Some potato varieties are more tolerant to potato germ than others .
attend for white potato vine assortment that are know to be resistant to Irish potato bugs , such as Yukon Gold , Elba , or Dakota Pearl .
plant insubordinate varieties can reduce the endangerment of white potato microbe infestations in your garden .
Monitor Your Garden Regularly
Keep a closelipped heart on your potato works and monitor them on a regular basis for signs of potato bug .
discipline the undersurface of foliage for eggs , larvae , or adult beetles .
former detecting is key to preclude murphy germ populations from growing and cause significant damage to your potato crop .
Practice Timely Planting
Plant your Solanum tuberosum at the correct time to avoid overlapping with the peak period of potato bug activity .
Potato bugs are most active during warm weather condition , so planting your potatoes too soon in the season or afterwards in the free fall when the weather cools down can help minimise the hazard of spud germ plague .
Avoid Over-Fertilization
Over - fertilizing your white potato plant can actually draw potato bug , as they are attracted to the exuberant foliage that results from excessive nitrogen floor .
Feed the Soil Instead
If you ’re new to horticulture , you might think that the key to a palmy garden is to fertilize , fertilize , fertilise . Just stop , Regenerate the Soil instead ! .
Potato hemipteron can be a nuisance in your garden , but with right identification and timely military action , you may efficaciously control their population .
call back to practice a compounding of method acting such as handpicking , companion planting , crop rotation , and mulching , to keep potato bug at bay .
Remember to combine these measures with veritable monitoring and well-timed action to efficaciously cope spud bug universe and protect your Irish potato harvest .
