Colorado Potato Beetle: munching your garden away

While weeding the garden, a nemesis was found on the early Irish potato plants. The Colorado Potato Beetle is a voracious feeder and will decimate your potato crop. First discovered in 1811, these beetles originated in central Mexico and the names have evolved over the years until the current name came about in 1865 when a plant scientist found masses of these insects feeding on Buffalo Bur and was convinced that the beetle was native to Colorado. The beetle has three life stages: eggs, larvae and adult capable of one to three generations a year. The eggs are bright orange and are in clusters on the undersides of the leaves. The larvae are pale, almost cream colored, with distinctive dots on their sides. Their shape is exceedingly round and they feed together in groups. The adults are striped and have a light brown head and keep that round shape. They overwinter in the soil and will emerge when the soil warms sufficiently. Your best management practice is to look carefully under the leaves for all life stages and to manually remove them from your plants. Another method is to rotate crops and mulch with straw or hay. Keep an eye out for these pests and if you control their numbers, you will have a successful potato harvest.
For more information regarding the Colorado Potato Beetle visit:
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics...


Joyce Browning Horticulturist, Master Gardener Coordinator
Video credit: Bethany Evans Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program Alumni; CPH

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