How to Identify Striped Cucumber Beetles

Striped cucumber beetles are most common in New York, but they can show up in other parts of the United States as well. If you spot these beetles on your plants, treat your garden quickly because cucumber beetles can cause deadly damage to your vine plants.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Look for small, brightly colored insects under the leaves of your plants. The full-sized adult cucumber beetle is about 1/4 inch long.

2. Check the color and markings of the beetles. Striped cucumber beetles have a black head and abdomen. On the back of the beetles are three bold black stripes and four yellow stripes.

3. Inspect the roots of your vine plants. Immature cucumber beetles are a creamy white color with a dark head and abdomen. They are approximately 3/8 inch long. These immature cucumber beetles feed off the roots of the plants, and in addition to vine plants, can do serious damage to corn crops.

Tips & Warnings

• Use plastic row covers on your garden to keep striped cucumber beetles from attacking your plants. Make sure you remove them before it is time for your plants to bloom. Another important way to prevent an infestation is to remove garden debris from the base of your plants. Perform preventative maintenance in the early spring before the adult beetles lay their eggs.
• Treat your garden immediately if you spot and identify cucumber beetles. For smaller crops and gardens, first shake the plants and remove the beetles and eggs by hand. You must treat large gardens and crops with insecticides to kill the beetles.