How to Prevent and Control Cucumber Beetles 5 Ways

Cucumber beetles can be a real pest with cucumbers. They plague gardeners and cause tons of damage. We have managed to control them and prevent them for many years totally organically!

[etet]

The first time I grew cucumbers we got the beetles, they decimated all the plants. I did some research and the next time I planted radishes all around the base of the cucumber mounds like little soldiers shoulder to shoulder guarding the plants. Worked like a charm. I was so pleased, not one beetle! This year so far so good. Fingers crossed. Love the tip about picking the cukes at night, thanks Luke!

[Lochness]

1. Pick at night - picking cucumbers releases cucurbitacins (a chemical that gives cucumbers their distinctive scent) that attract cucumber beetles, but that's not a problem at night because the beetles are sleeping then.
2. Grow resistant varieties that produce fewer cucurbitacins. Armenian yardlong and lemon cucumbers are better, pickling cucumbers are worse, although it's not as bad if you pick them young since the mature fruit emit more cucurbitacins.
3. Grow vertically. Hatched beetles emerging from the ground are more likely to find your cucumbers and feed on it if it's on the ground than up on a trellis.
4. Don't use traps, because they attract beetles into the traps, but a lot of them just get attracted to your vegetable garden from all over your neighbourhood instead.
5. Reduce stress, stressed plants release more cucurbitacins. Water and avoid pesticides (which kill pests but also stress plants).
bonus: mix in strongly scented plants

[HomewardBound]

I was just looking up neem oil for cucumber beetles when
I got this notification. Actually chuckled at the timing.
Thanks so much Luke!

[lindag]

Wow Luke! Chemistry class today! I'm growing cute salt and pepper cukes this year. I have to take a moment to say: I absolutely love, love, love your positivity. Sooo tired of the doomsday-fear-mongering YouTube channels. I sincerely thank you for your upbeat, informative, videos. They are helpful, not hurtful. Cheers to you! Wish I could 'beam' myself to your grand opening. I'm too far away (NH)

[nowayout]

My battle with cucumber beetle against my squash was a losing battle until I discovered a secret tool that was very effective. I used a mini vacuum with a hose. I used foil tape to reduce the opening and then shoved the hose through. I noticed my hose was too large to go to the bottom of the flower so I put a smaller hose at the end so it can reach down. All the cucumber beetles seem to hide in the flowers. This makes finding them easy. I can catch 10-20 cucumber beetles each time. After I empty the filter in the toilet by shaking them out and flushed them down. This is my vacuum: Einhell 2347124 Cordless Handheld Vacuum.

[CurlyQsgarden]

I am applying beneficial nematodes this year that targets these buggers… I’ve used them to help with Japanese beetles and had tremendous success so I’m hoping the same holds true with these. I applied some last week and will do an application in the Fall and next Spring. Get ‘em before they hatch!

[kburkes]

Good tips. I've had a really bad time with cucumber beetles every year, so this year I covered them with insect net and used a self-pollinating variety. So far, so good.

[muddeprived]

Doesn't really matter if you grow them on a trellis or on the ground, the beetles will get to them regardless. I grow all my cukes up to 8 feet and they are swarmed with the beetles. I lost all my trellised cucumbers this year really early. Last year I grew them during the second half of the season and they fruited till frost. I think the key is to wait till mid season if you want to avoid trying traps and lures and sprays.

[ianoliverbailey]

Amazing how much useful and interesting information you can pack into a 10-minute video on... cucumbers! I didn't even know there was such a thing as a cucumber beetle. My cucumbers seem to have avoided them without my help so far, but it's really helpful to know more about them. Thanks so much for sharing.

[trishthehomesteader]

Thanks Luke! No smackdown here! I'm just impressed you only stumbled over that word once! 😂
I'm very much appreciating these tips! This is my first time planting cucumbers. It just so happened that I planted basil about 1 1/2 ft. away from them. Yay!
Blessings! 💜

[eayers]

I love watching your videos because you disperse so much scientific information along with good gardening practices.

[glenndavie]

Thanks Luke, well done!💚 The cucumber beetle has been my bigest nemesis in the garden. Thank you for providing ideas on how to minimize the spread of the beetles within the garden!!

[pharrisph]

FYI - I used Japanese beetle traps in my yard to protect my garden because the HEAVILY pesticide sprayed, 100+ acre farms surrounding us were SWARMING with them. My little organic garden didn't stand a chance. At the height of beetle season I caught between 6, 000 and 9, 000 Japanese beetles per day per trap - and I had 6 traps set out. It was crazy - they were just lying on the other beetles on top of the hourglass-shaped traps, and dying. My garden was doomed that year anyway, but putting out the traps dramatically reduced the number of beetles in the entire community for several years, which meant my tiny garden did much better.

[FloraM]

Thank you!! Saving this to watch tomorrow. I've had to plant FOUR TIMES this year due to these pests. Even though I knew they were bad last year. I tried a bunch of things this year and still failed on nearly all of them - insect netting being the only success, and even then I think I've only harvested 2 or 3 pickling cucumbers this whole year! I've had to plant my watermelons 4 times and don't even know if I'll get any this year 😭😭 At least with the zucchini and cucumbers I planted 4 times they still stand a chance at producing *something* but yeah it's been brutal. Literally had nightmares about them!!

[smartapopyk]

Wow, you are awesome 👌. I am fighting these pests for years, your tips are priceless thank you ❤.

[GreeneGene]

Luke you are so informative and you get right to the good info, Thanks for your time and sharing your knowledge..!

[gailosmond-jewers]

Love your videos and thank you for all the wonderful information ! Harvesting cucumbers at night is a no go for me. I have to many bears and other wildlife around to be able to do that safely lol. I am out early most morning before the sun comes up to water and see a fair amount of wildlife. I prefer being able to see them and moving around my gardens carefully.

[kariannecrysler]

Congrats on the grand opening and many thanks for the cucumber tips😁

[gennnygrl]

I'm so happy this video happened I've been fighting these beetles for 3 years now! I intercropped nasturtium plants this year which also seemed to help

[curveappeal]

The last 7 seconds of this video were the best 😂😂😂😂😂