(Photo Illustration - Backyard Gardener - MetroCreativeConnection - JJ Barrett)

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! A delayed happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there in the Valley. Although the most popular gift is clothing, a power tool is always a great choice for a Father’s Day present.

The rain continues this June, delaying the hay harvest and planting of some crops. A dry spell may be ahead so we can all get caught up in the garden and on the farm.

Integrated pest management is critically important to fruit and vegetable production. The ongoing battle against insects and disease employs many management strategies including resistant varieties, hot-water seed treatment, crop rotation, water management and trap crops.

Other methods include natural and biological controls, sanitation, mechanical and cultural controls, action thresholds, selective materials and resistance management. As a last resort, we target tough-to-control pests with selective and carefully measured use of chemical pesticides.

Question of the Week: I have three rows of beautiful Kennebec potatoes which are being attacked by the Colorado potato beetle. How do I control this pest?

The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is the most economically damaging pest to potatoes in most areas of the United States, including West Virginia. If left uncontrolled, it can completely defoliate a potato crop.

This beetle is also a serious insect pest to other vegetable crops in the Solanaceae family, including eggplants, tomatoes and peppers. Although the potato is its favorite food, it will also feed on tobacco, ground cherry, petunia and even cabbage crops.

The Colorado potato beetle has developed resistance to most registered pesticides, making it one of the most difficult insect pests to control. Both the larval and adult stages feed on the leaves of plants, and if left unmanaged can quickly cause extensive defoliation. Under heavy infestations, feeding damage to above-ground fruit may also occur.

Neonicotinoid insecticides (containing imidacloprid) applied at planting is the traditional method used to control the Colorado potato beetle. However, the effectiveness of these insecticides has been waning in some parts of the U.S. due to resistance.

If practiced on a regular basis, hand removal can be an effective method for controlling Colorado potato beetle in small plantings. The larvae and adults can be removed and placed in a container filled with water and a few drops of dish soap. The dish soap breaks the water’s surface tension, so the insects sink into the water and drown rather than escape.

Many home gardeners have been using Sevin (carbaryl) for years (should I say decades?) for insect problems. Colorado potato beetle has a long history of developing resistance to a number of the insecticide classes that have been used for its control, including Sevin and pyrethroid (permethrin). These insecticides are now largely ineffective for controlling this insect.

Backyard gardeners are looking for a product that is safe, effective and does not leave toxic chemical residues. When researching for ways to control the potato beetle, I found information on products containing spinosad, including Colorado Potato Beetle Beater by the Bonide Company. Products that contain spinosad also include Entrust, Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew, Conserve, Monterey Garden Insect Spray and many others.

Mother Nature has provided us with spinosad, a naturally occurring byproduct of the bacteria Saccharaopolyspora spinosa. It was discovered in soil samples in an abandoned Caribbean rum distillery by vacationing scientists. Use of spinosad-containing products are approved for organic producers by the USDA National Organic Standards Board.

Products containing spinosad are a natural alternative to control insects in the garden and for commercial vegetable and fruit producers. It is effective against many chewing insects like thrips, beetles and caterpillars but spares many of our beneficial bugs.

It will also break down quickly in the environment by help of sunlight and soil microbes. It is very helpful to producers who have problems with insects that have developed resistance.

Spinosad is both a nerve poison and a stomach poison, so it kills pests that it contacts and those that consume it on the foliage they eat. It has a novel mode of action which will help prevent cross-resistance with organophosphates and carbamates (which are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors).

Don’t go overboard on using spinosad containing products. Only three applications in a 30-day period are recommended. For the Colorado Potato Beetle, spray in the middle of a sunny day if possible.

Spinosad works well on chewing insects, so it must be ingested by the insect. Therefore, it has little effect on sucking insects and non-target predatory insects. Spinosad is relatively fast acting. The pest insect dies within one to two days after ingesting the active ingredient.

The great thing about spinosad is that it works on bugs that have developed resistance to insecticides on the market or are extremely hard to kill, including the dreaded potato beetle, fall armyworm, diamondback moth and European corn borer.

Spinosad can work to assist in pest control in important crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cole crops or leafy greens. Gardeners can control many major insect pests by using spinosad in combination with other natural insecticide like Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).

This should allow for the survival of more beneficial insects and result in less pesticide use over the long haul. On sweet corn, spinosad will control both European corn borer and fall armyworm. It also offers the opportunity to control moderate levels of corn earworm in an environmentally friendly manner.

Keep in mind that insects tend to seek out unhealthy, weak or sick plants, and then send chemical signals to their buddies to come join the feast. As farmers and gardeners, it is very important to look at plant vitality and soil fertility. Strong, healthy plants are more resistant to disease and insect attack.

Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office 304-424-1960 or email me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Good luck and until next time, Happy Gardening!