What are eating my 'maters NOW??!

[i_am2bz]

Well, I went ahead & tried the dish soap & water spray, for no other reason than I had it on hand & didn't have to get into my solar oven - oops, I mean my car, & try to find anything else locally.

I only saw one of the beetles this morning, but that doesn't mean there aren't more hiding. :/

But you're right, hoodat, those blasted bugs did more damage in two days than all the tomato worms did in a week.

 

[Sunsaver]

I'm so glad that we don't have any blister beetles around here! They sound like a mean pest. I've found that very strong soapy water will kill most all bugs. Just be sure to rinse your plants with clean water, a couple of minutes later. The soap helps hydrophobic organic soils become easier to wet down in a drought.

 

[hoodat]

Blister beetles are abundant in states with certain conditions. They like Summers in the high digits (90s or higher) high humidity in the air combined with lack of moisture in the soil. That may seem contradictory at first but it is a common condition of states like Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas which receive humidity in the air from the Gulf but little or no cold air flow to precipitate rain.

 

[so lucky]

I usually see them late in the season on autumn blooming clematis. They can skeletonize the plant in no time. I have had success with Sevin dust. They start falling off in seconds. Kinda cool, watching them fall upside down on the porch, waving their little legs in the air.....

 

[i_am2bz]

I usually see them late in the season on autumn blooming clematis. They can skeletonize the plant in no time. I have had success with Sevin dust. They start falling off in seconds. Kinda cool, watching them fall upside down on the porch, waving their little legs in the air.....

Well, I try to keep as organic as I possibly can...so far the &*^% beetles haven't completely chewed down my plants, so the soap must have done SOME good.