I have a photo on my blog. Can anyone tell me what these are? Can I feed them to my chickens etc.? How can we naturally get rid of them? I really appreciate your help.
Potato bugs, get picking them off. They lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. They will chew your potato plants down to stalks. I pick and squish on the driveway, to make sure they are dead.
EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!! I'd be burning all the plants. I detest worms. LOL. Hope you are getting them off. Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross
Yep, Colorado potato beetle! Pick the off as fast as you can. They will eat the plant down to the ground before you can turn around. Add a thick layer of mulch around your taters, this does help cut back the numbers somewhat. I used straw.
They also recommend you use BTSD (but read the direction) as soon you see larvae. Use row cover before beetle appear. Use loose straw as thick mulch around the plants.
I have this great book. The Organice Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control by Barbara W. Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley
Orange worms on our potato plants
Posted - Jun 25 2010 : 07:53:26 AM
