Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> About Gardening

Organic Control of Mexican Bean Beetles

Q: Mexican bean beetles devastated my green and butter beans. Hand-picking failed. I prefer organic methods but need help.

A: Both yellow bristly larvae and ladybug-like adults skeletonize leaves. For organic control, cover plants with floating row cover from seedling emergence until bloom. Alternatively, spray leaf undersides with neem oil (e.g., Bio-neem) or spinosad (e.g., Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew).

About Gardening: Fast Bean Sprouting for Science Fair; Growing Beans: Types, Planting, and Pest Management; Squash Beetle vs. Mexican Bean Beetle: Spot the Difference; Flea Beetle Damage on Eggplant: Organic and Synthetic Controls; Controlling Daisy Beetles on Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans; Powder Post Beetles in Furniture: Identification and Control; Organic Japanese Beetle Control: Soap, Pyrethrin, and Realistic Expectations; Asparagus Beetle Control: Sanitation, Hand-Picking, and Persistent Spraying; Using Beneficial Nematodes to Control Japanese Beetles: What You Need to Know; Controlling Carpet Beetle Larvae in Home Fabrics

Garden Articles

Japanese Beetle Control: Strategies for a Destructive Pest

Flat Butterbean Pods: The Pollination Problem

The Great Southern Bean Debate: Butterbeans vs. Lima Beans

Organic Weed Control Options for Lawns

Eliminating Cigarette Beetles from Your Pantry: A 5-Step Plan

Chemical Control for Japanese Beetles: When Hand-Picking Isn't Enough

Japanese Beetle Control: Nematodes vs. Milky Spore

Plants

Whiteflies on Patio Tomatoes: Oil Sprays and Soap

Organic Pest Management for Certified Produce: Non-Chemical Strategies

Organic Chickweed Control: Why Synthetic Fertilizer Feeds the Weed and Cultural Practices Suppress It

Japanese Beetle Control: Synthetic Pyrethroids Outperform Sevin

Milky Spore in Compost: Why It Won't Persist or Spread

Japanese Beetle Control on Peach Trees: Realistic Options

Organic Eradication of Smilax (Green Briar) Without Herbicides