Re: Asparagus

Steve wrote...

> Also, asparagus beetles can be a problem early in the season.  I
> hand-pick the adults but you have to develop the technique as they drop
> to the ground or fly away at the slightest disturbance.  The larvae are
> like grey slugs, but not slimy.  If hand-picking bothers you, use
> rotenone on them.  By June the ladybugs usually are quite activly eating
> the larvae and I don't worry about it after that.  (Note that a ladybug
> larva looks like a tiny grey dragon.  Don't confuse the ladybug larva
> for an asparagus beetle larva and pinch or spray it.  The ladybug larvae
> eat the asparagus beetle larvae.)

Good advice, Mr. Maritime.

I often wonder how many people kill their ladybird larvae, thinking they are
something nasty. Anyone using a Mac might like to seek out my Insecticons --
icons of insects, real and imaginary; these include a picture of a ladybird
larva. They are on most shareware sites, so you'll find them quite easily
from a search engine.

Rather than picking off the asparagus beetle larvae, I squash them by hand
in situ which is faster.

Cheers,

Nick
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index