I have found potato bugs in my garden. They are not on my girls but have killed a cucumber plant next to my potato's (they did not yet attack the potato's!!) I am worried they will attack my girls... Anyone ever fought these beasts?
Potato bugs
- Thread starter Buckshot
- Start date
Fuzzy Duck
Well-Known Member
I can only find references to a Jeruselum crickets (potato bug) appears to be american/mexican native species...
Got any picks of the critter ?
Oh ye appears they like to eat roots, tuberous roots etc so ya girls might be at risk...
Currently researching control methods
Got any picks of the critter ?
Oh ye appears they like to eat roots, tuberous roots etc so ya girls might be at risk...
Currently researching control methods
Fuzzy Duck
Well-Known Member
Diet: Their diet consists mainly of insects. They also feed on plant roots, tubers (reason for being called potato bugs), decaying plant and animal material.
Habitat/Domain: Mostly ground dwelling, under rocks and in the soil, they emerge at night in search of food. In the spring time they can be seen during the day looking for a mate. Jerusalem crickets are found all over the western United States from Canada to Mexico and as far east as Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
Be careful they do bite !
Insectecides don't really work that well... so squashing under foot etc is the best method of control !
Due to their diet (decay plant matter/insects) a suitable habitat might be worth while creating... aka a compost heap of rotting veg/plant matter etc to help stear them away from attacking root systems of other garden plants.
Side Note - if used home made compost etc as a soil conditioner for plants, then root system maybe subject to attack as home made compost composed of decayed/decaying plant material is a source of food ! (don't see to much of problem if well rotted tho)
Habitat/Domain: Mostly ground dwelling, under rocks and in the soil, they emerge at night in search of food. In the spring time they can be seen during the day looking for a mate. Jerusalem crickets are found all over the western United States from Canada to Mexico and as far east as Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
Be careful they do bite !
Insectecides don't really work that well... so squashing under foot etc is the best method of control !
Due to their diet (decay plant matter/insects) a suitable habitat might be worth while creating... aka a compost heap of rotting veg/plant matter etc to help stear them away from attacking root systems of other garden plants.
Side Note - if used home made compost etc as a soil conditioner for plants, then root system maybe subject to attack as home made compost composed of decayed/decaying plant material is a source of food ! (don't see to much of problem if well rotted tho)
GreatLife4All
New Member
Haven't seen Potato Bugs since I lived in Ca.
Those things look like miniature tanks if I remember correctly. Not real surprised that insecticides don't work. They were fairly rare where I was at (in the city) - but I did smash a few of them in my garage near my growing operation. Never actually saw one munching on my ladies though. But i don't doubt that they would.
Those things look like miniature tanks if I remember correctly. Not real surprised that insecticides don't work. They were fairly rare where I was at (in the city) - but I did smash a few of them in my garage near my growing operation. Never actually saw one munching on my ladies though. But i don't doubt that they would.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks Fuzzy Duck and GL4A
Fuzzy I had read hand attack was best and that is what I did. I pulled the two affected plants and put them in soapy water and killed all the beetles I could and also put them in the soapy water. Afterward went out and killed the ones that came back. I got 1500 lady bugs and released them all around the garden to mop up any eggs that may have been laid before the attack. I have inspected every day and so far so good. I realized why they went after the cucumbers rather than the potato's or cannabis and that is because I am using SNS 209. The potato's had been getting a bit but the cucumbers were new and had none. They barely touched the potato's and went for a tastier treat (makes me think I should not be using on taters
) They are an experiment anyway.
Thanks again folks
Fuzzy I had read hand attack was best and that is what I did. I pulled the two affected plants and put them in soapy water and killed all the beetles I could and also put them in the soapy water. Afterward went out and killed the ones that came back. I got 1500 lady bugs and released them all around the garden to mop up any eggs that may have been laid before the attack. I have inspected every day and so far so good. I realized why they went after the cucumbers rather than the potato's or cannabis and that is because I am using SNS 209. The potato's had been getting a bit but the cucumbers were new and had none. They barely touched the potato's and went for a tastier treat (makes me think I should not be using on taters
) They are an experiment anyway.Thanks again folks
Those things give me the creeps. went camping a few years ago and had one in my tent next to my face when I woke up.until that point i had never seen one. they are beeg.
I hate beetles and there little barbed legs.
I hate beetles and there little barbed legs.
GreatLife4All
New Member
Agreed. First time I saw one I was like "What the hell is that thing."
Did you know that there are something like 350,000 species of beetles in the world - that is a lot of hate my friend
