Re: Asparagus

One trick in hand picking that worked well for me was to place one hand
under the beetle, and reach for it with the other. When they see your
movement they drop from the plant right into your other hand.


Ed Tucker
edwardt@sonic.net
Santa Rosa, Ca.


On Sun, 10 Jan 1999, Neason wrote:

> Nick Day wrote:
> > 
> > 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
> 
> Nick,
> 
> That's essentially what I meant by a "technique" for hand picking.  But
> you must approach the beetle such that your shadow does not fall on it. 
> Catching them "in the act" is always satisfying, too, because you know
> you got a female then.
> 
> Steve  (Maritime...)
>
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