|
Potato Patch Pests are usually six legged. Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)might be the worst ones.
CPB in my log book. These nasty beetles feast on potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and petunias. CPBs in adult and larval stage eat the leaves and stems of the plants, not the roots. This cuts down on how well the plant can photosynthesize and gives you reduced potato yields.
CPB adults are yellowish orange with black spots behind their heads and 10 black stripes on their wing covers. (Get out your magnifying glass, look close and count them!)
They spend the winter as pupae in the soil and emerge in late spring and WALK to host plants. CPBs lay clusters of yellow, oval-shaped eggs. The larvae hatch and feed for up to 3 weeks before they pupate in the soil. These prolific critters can have 3 generations per year in the South.
The easiest way to prevent damage to your potato crop is to make a barrier between...
|