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June 23, 2026

Cucumber Beetles Among Us

Hi Reader!

I know gardens pests are just a part of the process but .... gee whiz! It's a constant battle. My cucumbers are blossoming and fruiting and the leaves and cukes are so cute. Then, here comes the cucumber beetle. So annoying. But I'm on it this year!

In this edition:

• What is a Cucumber Beetle?
• Standard Pest Control Methods
• MY METHOD

WHAT IS A CUCUMBER BEETLE?

Cucumber beetles sound so innocent. They are not.

You can easily spot them on your cucurbits (squash plants) by their color, which is usually yellow with either black stripes or spots.

I usually see the spotted ones. They destroy your plants by in multiple ways. Rafia Khan, PhD, says: ​

You can see on my plants how they chew leaves.

It's a slow death for the plant because the life is literally sucked and chewed out of it until it dies.

This is a Cucumber Beetle on my plant. They are interesting to look at but they must be dealt with or your gardening efforts will be for nought.

My daily morning routine includes going out to my cucumber plants and inspecting each plant carefully from all angles. Then I shake the plant and see if any of the beetles come from the underside of leaves, etc.

I recently learned that you should wait two (2) seasons before planting cukes (and other cucurbits) in the same spot where you previously had a beetle infestation because the beetle eggs can overwinter and repopulate the next season. Uuuugh! Too late now, my plants are in! I'll have to remember this for next year.

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STANDARD METHODS FOR CONTROL

There are multiple methods for controlling this pesty pest, and I've tried most of them.

• Diatomaceous Earth
• Kaolin Clay (Future edition coming on this method)
• Sticky Traps
• Trap Crops
• Read more ... ​

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MY METHOD

It's interesting how during my first couple of years of gardening I was so squeamish about bugs. I was always running for some kind of element to remove, spray, stomp or brush them away, ... or I just took off running myself. 🤭

I had to learn that ALL bugs are not BAD bugs. Some are beneficial to the health and well-being of your plants. It took a couple more years for me to learn the good bugs from the bad bugs.

Now I know.

A cucumber beetle is a bad bug.

I currently have no mercy for them. You will understand after you've spent hours planting, nurturing, loving, and talking to your plants only to find a beetle bug devouring it all night and all day, and you end up with a diseased plant and either non-existent or malformed cukes.

My bravery is well-developed now.

When I spot a beetle during my inspections, it's LIGHTS OUT!

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*Trigger warning if you are a sensitive soul.

It does not end well for this little guy in these 15 seconds"*

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Anyway, the daily hunt and take down has my cucumbers looking beautiful so far. The crunch is so satisfying ... another cucumber life saved. 😏

That's all I've got for this edition!

I'm so thankful that you took the time to read it!

Send it to your friends and family to see if they'll be inspired to grow a garden!

🥒 Gardening Thoughts 🥒

Here are 40 fun facts about CUCUMBERS!

I didn't know about #22!

Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments.

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I'll see you in the next edition!

Peace and Love,

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If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jangardener@gardenease.org