Book Excerpt 1

MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE

Identification:

These are light brown round beetles, about 1/4 inch long with 16 black spots on their back. They are frequently mistaken for a ladybug (these are not ladies) and are a distant relative of them.The larvae are light yellow and covered with bristle hairs that are about 1/3 inch long.

General Information:

They will eat beans, pods, leaves and stems then lay their yellow eggs on the leaf underside. Their larvae will also eat the bean leaves when they emerge. The female is capable of laying 1500 eggs if she is in rare form but usually lays about 500 on the lower surfaces of the bean plant. As a grub it is a yellowish color and covered with spines. It will winter in the garden area usually under a woodpile or in some rubbish or debris. They have a peculiar craving for Lima beans and will go out of their way if any are in the vicinity. They will totally skeletinize the leaves and the larvae will attach their hind ends to a leaf that is uninjured and pupate. If you see a skeletonized leaf, start looking onthe undersides of leaves for yellow orange egg clusters.

NATURAL REMEDY

Release the parasite wasp, Pediobius foveolatus to eliminate the infestation in about 1 week or handpick the beetles and their eggs.

MORE ACUTE REMEDY

Mix up a batch of pepper, garlic and onion juice in 1 quart of water and spray them. Pyrethrum spray will kill them and soap and lime spray will cause them to vacate your premises in a hurry.

MIXING POTATOES WITH BEANS

If you plant potato plants among the bean plants chances are you will never see a Mexican Bean Beetle or the Standard Bean Beetle. They hate potato plants and will avoid areas where they are planted.

PICK A BEETLE

The best line of defense is to just pick the beetles off the plants and drop them into a bucket of soapy water or water topped with kerosene.