Mexican Bean Beetle

Is there something eating on your beans?
There was a fiesta in the bean patch this morning. Even the mariachi band was there, but apparently I wasn’t invited.


I noticed that the leaves of my bush beans were suffering a bit, but I chalked it up to some sudden extreme heat and dryness that we experienced last week. Oh, no. I was so wrong. The fiesta was well underway in a very covert manner. When I picked beans a few days ago, I seemed to have missed the early party goers, but this morning, they were in full view with their brightly colored party wear.
If you grow beans, then you will eventually become acquainted with the Mexican bean beetle. The colorful, voracious larvae of this beetle will devour your bean plants. The adults look very much like the beneficial ladybugs. In fact, they are in the same family (Coccinellidae), but just like most families, two of its members have gone to the dark side. These are the squash lady beetle and the Mexican bean beetle. Unlike their carnivorous cousins, the squash lady beetle and the Mexican bean beetle attack plants.
To prevent the fiesta in the first place, floating row covers can be used to prevent females from laying their eggs. If, however, you fail on the row cover front, then get ready to hand pick the adults and larvae off your plants. If you are opposed to squishing (like me), take a cup of water with you to the garden that has a drop or two of dish washing liquid in it. Pick off the larvae and drop them in the cup. (Tell them you are sorry.) There are a few natural predators, but don’t count on them to find the party before your bean plants are destroyed.
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