6. Spray with a Microbial Solution – Another way that you can get rid of potato bugs is to spray your plants with a microbial solution. Bacillus thuringiensis is the most popular choice. It’s a natural bacterial disease that you can use to control potato beetles if applied to the insects while they’re still in the larval stage.
What is the best potato bug killer?
How to Control –
Plant resistant cultivars when possible.In early morning, shake adults beetles from plants onto ground cloth and dump captured pests into soapy water.To impede the movement of overwintering adults, mulch at least 2-3 inches deep with a layer of clean straw or hay as soon as plants emerge.Protect plants with Harvest-Guard row cover through spring. Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, spined soldier bugs and lacewing, feed on eggs and the young larval stages. Beneficial nematodes will attack the immature stages developing in the soil. Diatomaceous earth contains no toxic poisons and works on contact. Dust lightly and evenly over vegetable crops wherever pest insects are found. Surround WP (kaolin clay) forms a protective barrier film, which acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant for preventing damage from chewing pests. Monterey Garden Insect Spray (Spinosad) is a highly effective bio-pesticide recommended for use against potato beetles. For best results, apply when young. Safer® BioNeem contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated spray is approved for organic use and offers multiple modes of action, making it virtually impossible for insect resistance to develop. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects. BotaniGard ES is a highly effective biological insecticide containing Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus that attacks a long-list of troublesome crop pests – even resistant strains! Weekly applications can prevent insect population explosions and provide protection equal to or better than conventional chemical pesticides.Spot treat with fast-acting organic pesticides if pest levels become intolerable.After harvest pick up garden debris and turn the soil over around plants to disturb overwintering beetles.
Tip: Line trenches between potato rows with plastic to trap adults. A recent study found that trenches with walls sloping at greater than 46 degrees will retain an average of 84% of all adults caught.
Will dish soap kill potato bugs?
4. Will Dish Soap Kill Potato Bugs? – Using a simple homemade spray of dish soap and water is a very easy way to kill many garden pests including potato beetles. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap with 1 gallon of water and spray it onto the beetles and larva. The key to making this work is that you have to hit the bugs directly with the soap mixture. Just spraying the leaves won’t work.
Why do I have potato bugs?
Step 3 – Inspect your gutters on the outside of your home. If they aren’t working properly, excessive moisture will accumulate near your home, attracting potato bugs. If your gutters aren’t working properly, call a gutter company to repair them.
Can I spray my plants with vinegar and water to get rid of bugs?
What is a natural bug killer for plants? – Vinegar is a really effective natural bug killer for plants. Dilute it 1:1 with water in a spray bottle and spray it over and under the leaves of affected plants. You can also use it around the house to deter bugs inside; the vinegary smell will quickly dissipate.
Do marigolds keep potato bugs away?
Repellant Plants One of the most accepted wisdoms of companion planting is the use of repellant plants to keep bothersome insects away from their favorite vegetable plants. Insects locate their favorite plants through smell and many repellant plants work by masking the scent of their neighbor plants.
That is why strong-smelling plants such as basil, onions, garlic, and marigolds are good reliant plants (It is a good practice to crush a few leaves or flowers on your repellant plants each morning to help release their scent.) The following is a brief list of some excellent repellant plants as well as some cautions on their use.
BASIL – Repels flies, potato bugs, and mosquitoes, but should not be planted alongside rue. MARIGOLDS- Repel Mexican bean beetles, aphids, cabbage moths, potato bugs, squash bugs, nematodes (if dug into soil), and maggots. CHIVES – Repels aphids and Japanese beetles.
- BORAGE – Repels tomato hornworms.
- NASTURTIUMS – Repels aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and whiteflies.
- TOMATOES – Repels cabbage worms.
- CELERY- Repels cabbage worms.
- ONIONS – Repels carrot flies, but do not plant near beans or peas.
- LEEKS – Repels carrot flies, but do not plant near peas or beans.
WORMWOOD – Repels carrot flies and most root maggots. CATNIP – Repels flea beetles. RADISHES – Repels cucumber beetles. GARLIC – Repels Japanese beetles and aphids, but keep away from peas and beans. GREEN BEANS – Repels Colorado potato beetles. ROSEMARY-Repels bean beetles, cabbage moths, and carrot flies.
Will soapy water hurt potato plants?
Kill Your Garden – Soaps and detergents are toxic to plants. A strong solution of soapy water sprayed onto foliage can disintegrate the leaves’ waxy coating, resulting in water loss and the eventual dehydration death of the plant. And though it may seem like a good drought-conscious practice to water your plants with the soapy water left over from washing the dishes, your plants will pay for it in the long run.
As an ecologically responsible gardener, you want to conserve water and avoid introducing toxins into the environment.
How do you know if you have a potato bug?
How Can You Tell if You Have a Potato Bug Problem? – Potato bugs overwinter in the soil and emerge in late spring, around the same time potato vegetation appears. They lay clusters of small, orange eggs on the undersides of leaves. Young larvae are deep red with blackheads; older larvae are pink to salmon with blackheads. 
Image of potato bug larvae courtesy of Berono’s Garden You’ll know you have a potato bug infestation on your hands if you notice damaged flower buds. This is what the larva eats first because the flower buds are the softest parts. After eating these, the little potato bug rapidly proceeds to consume the leaves. As well as eating your potatoes, potato bugs eat other foods:
| Potato Bug Type | Diet |
| Jerusalem Cricket |
Tuber and roots Meat Fruits Other pests |
| Colorado Potato Bug |
Leaves Tomatoes Eggplants Pepper |
Colorado beetles are more serious pests than Jerusalem crickets because they prefer potatoes. Whereas the crickets happily consume the other elements of their diet.
Do coffee grounds repel pill bugs?
11. Coffee Grounds – This is a useful and inexpensive method for coffee drinkers to use in their gardens. Spread a ring around plants to protect seedlings and young growth, burnt grounds are even better. This is more of a way of deterring the bugs rather than killing them.
What can I spray on potatoes for bugs?
Neem Oil Spray Neem oil is one of the most widely useful natural insecticides. It’s pressed from seeds of the tropical neem tree (Azadirachta indica, USDA zones 10-12), and it’s effective against Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, aphids and many other pests.