Cucumber Beetles

I found one on a cucumber flower on my balcony!  I squished in and looked for more.

Cucumber Beetle.  There are also spotted ones with the same colours.  Striped beetles are more common in Ottawa. 

The good news:  There was only one.

The bad news:  There is no magic potion to organically get rid of them.

All insects have life cycles.  The adult won't be a problem all summer long, but if you don't deal with them now (late June, early July), their offspring are going to wreak havoc later in the season and be ready to rise up and attack next year's crop.

Why Cucumber Beetles are a Problem

• Adults eat the cucumber blossoms.
• The adults carry diseases to the plant.
• They lay eggs at the base of the stem.
• The larvae will severely weaken the plant by eating the roots. 

Solution

• Go out in the evening and inspect.  
• Squish the adults.
• Look for the red eggs at the base of the plant and under the leaves.  Remove the infected leaves and wipe off eggs from the stem. 
• Encourage spiders, a natural predator.
• Sprinkle chopped onion at the base of the plant. 
• Cucumber beetle traps are available, but not many sources seem to think they work. 
• Trellis them -- my plant is trellised, so maybe that is why I only saw one beetle.  

Cucumber beetles also like:  eggplants, any kind of melon, squash, corn. 

Resources: The Little Garden that Could

                  Gloucester Garden