About cucumber beetles and cucurbitacin: cucurbitacin is a feeding
stimulant, but does not volatilize into the air, so it does not attract the
beetles from a distance. The work done with cucurbitacin has been with
mixing the feeding stimulant with an insecticide to get the beetles to eat
the insecticide. Thus, a smaller amount of insecticide per acre can be
used. There is a formulated product, called "Adios" that uses this
strategy. The insecticide used is carbaryl. I believe that it may be
possible to buy dried powdered extracts from buffalo gourd, which is high in
cucurbitacins.
Mike Hoffmann, of Cornell University, has worked with volatile attractants
that attract the cucumber beetles over a longer distance. He has found that
a mixture of three chemicals, (1,2,4 trimethoxybenzene, indole, and
trans-cinnamaldehyde) are an effective attractant. All these chemicals are
available from specialty chemical companies (Sigma, Aldrich, etc.), but are
not available in a farmer-friendly mixture. None are very hazardous, but
require some safety precautions (a chemical hood, gloves, safety glasses).
Mike is working on a system where these chemicals would be incorporated in a
yellow cloth along with an insecticide.
Kim Stoner
-----Original Message-----
From: Amy and Eric Johnson <akjedj@gamewood.net>
To: sanet-mg <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>; maroc@islandnet.com
<maroc@islandnet.com>
Date: Monday, August 23, 1999 12:12 PM
Subject: yellow ladybugs
>Sounds like you've got spotted cucumber beetles to me! Are they a yellowish
>green? And are they somewhat more elongated than normal ladybugs? A guide
to
>identifying insects is an invaluable tool, look in the gardening section of
>your library or bookstore, or do a web search on cucumber beetles
>
>check out
>http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Vegetables/veg025e/img_twob.htm
>
>http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/PEST_ID/pestid.html
>
>We've got these pesky critters in abundance this year since our drip
>irrigation is keeping the gardens alive while all our neighbors gardens are
>dry and dead.
>
>Cucumber beetles are especially problematic (especially on members of the
>squash family) as they transmit bacterial and/or viral wilt disease
>organisms. I started with insecticidal soap, then neem, and am ready to get
>out the rotenone soon if I don't see any drop in their numbers. I've also
>got some yellow sticky traps out near the blossoms of my pumpkins, they're
>attracted to yellow.
>
>BTW- anybody know where I can buy the cucurbitan (spelling?) pheromone so I
>can increase the effectiveness of my sticky traps?
>
>Amy in VA
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