Potato Bugs-- how to get rid of them without all the picking?

[NurseNettie]

My husband has turned into this year's gardener (he's home this year- so he's taken over).

We've got lots of potato plants, and lots of potato bugs. He diligently picks and squishes them by the hundreds every day.

Until now, we've used nothing but DE, beer (for slugs) etc. in the garden, but with so many plants, we need another solution. The chickens don't like them, and won't eat them.

Any suggestions on what to use that's natural/ organic? With a well and a pond on our property (not to mention the fact that we just don't like chemicals) we want to get rid of them without causing harm to anyone/ anything else. We've also got no commercial resources as far as where to buy anything, but Walmart (who carries nearly nothing), so online resources would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance !

 

[digitS']

I had terrible problems with spud bugs (Colorado potato beetles) last year, Nettie. Not in the potatoes, those plants were in the little veggie garden where I've yet to see a potato bug. No, they attacked the eggplants of which I had what must have been a record number for me - maybe about 25 plants.

I sprayed with rotenone/pyrethrin and it killed them fairly well. There were dead bugs all around the plants by season end. However, the plants were ripped to shreds because by the day after spraying the bugs were back and chewing on them!

This year, I've got Spinosad. I found potato bugs on the half dozen eggplants I am risking out there. They got sprayed with the new bug-killer and . . . it killed 'em!

It has been over a week now and I haven't seen another bug on there! Keep in mind that Spinosad is supposed to be for the larvae not the adults.

Steve

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6468-monterey-garden-insect-spray-og-16-oz-.aspx

 

[hoodat]

Critters that feed on the nightshade family seem to like eggplants the best. They are real bug magnets.