Mexican Bean Beetles

Our string bean leaves have been eaten, thanks to the the little yellow larvae of the Mexican Bean Beetles. Luckily, they don’t seem to eat the actual beans! We were still able to harvest quite a bit. I got another 2-3 cups this weekend before I ripped the skeletons out and sent them to the compost area.

They are big enough to see, pick off and crush, so you just need to try to remove as many as you can as soon as the attack starts. Larvae look like spiny yellow globs and the adults look like orange lady bugs. When you squish them, they ooze yellow.

Look at this crazy damage! I’m going to try to plant one more batch of bush beans this upcoming weekend; not sure we’ll get another batch before the frost but we really don’t have anything to lose. Most of the Mexican Bean Beetles are now in adulthood, so the larvae shouldn’t be an issue now… right?

Mexican Bean Beetles on Bush Beans

 

August 28, 2012 В· Sheryl В· No Comments
Tags: , ,  В· Posted in: Bugs, Produce

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