Organic Pest Control for Pumpkin Beetles

Pumpkins can be destroyed by beetle attacks.

What are considered pumpkin beetles are actually the squash bug, squash vine borer or the striped cucumber beetle. The squash vine borer and squash bug can ravage a pumpkin patch, and the striped cucumber beetle can bring bacterial wilt along with it. There are organic ways to control these pests.

Floating Row Covers

A floating row cover deters beetles. Use large, arced plastic hoops to support the row cover and give the pumpkins room to grow. Remove it when the flowers open to permit pollination.

Crop Rotation

Crop rotation keeps beetles from reappearing. Don't plant any members of the cucurbit family in the same patch as last year's pumpkin patch. Remove any debris from an old pumpkin patch and plant with a cover crop, such as red clover..

Trap Crops

Set a trap for pumpkin beetles with squash.

Luring the beetles with a trap crop helps control them. Have some small pots of winter squash available and then plant them in the garden. Lay some boards around the plants and wait for the beetles to arrive. Squash them with the boards. Wait to plant your pumpkin crop as late as you can in order to get rid of as many beetles as possible.

References

• Ohio State University Extension: Beetles Bug Pumpkin Producers
• University of Kentucky: Kentucky Pumpkin Integrated Pest Management
• Cornell University Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management: Curcurbit Crops
• Mother Earth News: Homemade Squisher for Squash Bug Control