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Beetlesbeetles earth-wiseearth-wise guideguide toto BeetlesBeetles There are many types of beetles in the Austin area, many of them beneficial. The two most common PEST beetles: groups of pest beetles are listed below. Least Toxic Solutions Flea Beetles: For All Beetles Attack: • Use floating row cover Many vegetables including cucumbers, • Remove dead plant materials and tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, pota- debris from garden toes and corn • Treat soil with beneficial nematodes Damage: • Check for damage early and often Flea Beetle “Shot gun” pattern feeding damage on during the growing season leaves and may also spread diseases such as potato blight and bacterial wilt. Larvae feed underground on roots Flea Beetle Solutions: • Irrigate efficiently. Drought stressed helpful beetles: plants are more susceptible to damage These beetles are beneficial and • Try companion planting with catnip, cause no damage in the garden. Striped Flea Beetle sage and mint to repel beetles They feed on aphids, caterpillars and other garden pests. • Plant trap crops (mustard is good) Cucumber Beetles: Attack: Identify All members of before you buy the squash and Need help diagnosing a cucumber family plant problem? Call the Texas Ground Beetle Spotted Cucumber Beetle AgriLife Extension Service @ Damage: 512-854-9600 and ask for the Minimal feeding damage, Master Gardener desk or however they spread email them at diseases such as bacterial [email protected] wilt and squash mosaic virus that can kill plants Banded Cucumber Beetle Cucumber Beetle Solutions: Ground Beetle • Choose disease resistant squash plants such as Cougar, Destiny III, Liberator III, Sunglo and Sunray • Use trellises to get plants off the ground and mulch heavily around plants Striped Cucumber Beetle Lady Bird Beetle product toxicity comparisons Evaluation of active ingredients only; does not include toxicity information on inert or “other” ingredients. Toxicity/Threat: d low c low to moderate b high a highest NA not applicable Hazards: ? unknown toxicity banned by EPA earth-wise active ingredient(s) / human toxicity aquatic birds, soil environmental note Product Name concentrations acute chronic life bees, pets mobility persistence Green Light® Home & Garden Insect Spray Thyme oil .33% Clove oil .33 % ? d ? ? ? ? Sesame oil .33% Bonide® Hot Pepper Wax Ready-to-Use Capsaicin and related c ? c d ? ? [repellant only] capsaicinoids 0.184% Safer® BioNEEM Azadirachtin 0.09%, c ? c b d d Garden Tech™ Rose & Flower Insect Spray Pyrethrins .02%, c c b b d d Piperonyl butoxide 0.20% Spectracide® Triazicide® Once and Done!™ Gamma-cyhalothrin 0.25% b c b b c b/ Insect Killer2 Concentrate Ortho® Bug-B-Gon® Max® Lawn & Garden Bifenthrin 0.3% c ? a b d c Insect Killer Concentrate Ready-to-Spray Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Cyfluthrin 0.75% c ? a b d c Multi-Insect Killer Concentrate Ortho® Malathion Plus™ Insect Spray Concentrate Malathion 50% c ? b a d c Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Killer Dust Carbaryl 0.126% c b c a c c for Gardens Ready-to-Use Diatect® Garden and Floral Insect Control Silicon dioxide 82.9% Pyrethrin 0.2% c b a b d d Piperonyl butoxide 1.0% Ortho® Bug- B-Gon® Max® Garden Insect Dust Permethrin 0.25% c b a b d b//c Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Dust Permethrin 0.25% c b a b d b/ c Ready-to-Use / Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Imidacloprid 1.47% c ? a b b b Insect Control Concentrate Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Killer Imidacloprid 0.15% c ? a b b b for Soil & Turf Ready-to-Spread Granules Beta-cyfluthrin 0.05% Ortho® Bug-B-Gon® Max® Esfenvalerate 0.0033% c c a a d b/ c Garden & Landscape Insect Killer Ready-to-Use / most toxic Eliminator®Sevin® 5% Dust Carbaryl 5% c b a a b b/ GardenTech® Sevin® Carbaryl 5% c b a a b b Ready-to-Use 5% DustBug Killer The City of Austin and the Texas AgriLife Why Extension Service provide this information as a www.growgreen.org comparative reference only. Listing of specific Grow Green? product trade names does not constitute an The Grow Green program endorsement of its use. Many other pesticides educates Austin area residents on and pesticide products are available and may the LEAST TOXIC approach to pest be suitable for use other than those listed in these tables. management and responsible fertilizer 512-974-2550 use. Our goal is to reduce the amount Products rated by Grady J. Glenn, Ph.D., B.C.E., of landscape chemicals that “runoff” of the Agricultural and Environmental Safety into our waterways or leach into Program, Texas AgriLife Extension Service who can be reached for questions at 979-862-1035. our groundwater and degrade The rating system was developed by Philip water quality. Dickey of the Washington Toxics Coalition. 512-854-9600 04/09.
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