Beetles are Turning Beans to Swiss Cheese

I found about 5 beetles of two types on my pole bean plants this evening. A long standing mystery solved tonight with a headlamp and a little patience. I brought them home in a milk jug for further inspection and a soapy bath.

I'm not sure how to repel them. Diatomaceous earth doesn't bother these hard shell guys. It could be that pulling them off and letting the beans grow faster will do the trick. Rob from Garden Works was telling me that usually the bean plants grow fast enough to outrun the damage, but this spring has seen some cool nights which slows growth. I've also read some about planting companion plants to repel or confuse beetles, but will have to read more - or hear comments.

Didn't Neil Young sing "I've seen the beetle and the damage done..."

All the beetles...

A small one...

A big one..

Bean leaf damage..

Evening Pest Patrol

Last night I found no cutworms, but a new hungry creature that likes to munch on the cabbage family of plants. I found 11 and removed them. They are likely May beetles, also called June bugs or June beetles. Reading up on them, I suspect that the flashlight may actually have attracted them as they often go to lights at night. However, I think given their size and the kind of eating they do, they have been enjoying our plants on other nights as well. Next time I go on night patrol, I will use the flashlight very sparingly and check for these before I leave. For more info, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllophaga_(genus)

Jeannine

Bluebirds, Cutworms and Frogs

The gardens are looking great! The transplants are recovered from the shock and the seeds are sprouting. Rain is wonderful!

Just a few other observations/notes:

Bluebirds! Often I hear them when I up at the garden. Sunday evening while Dale and I had a picnic dinner up there, a flash of blue arrived... a brilliant male bluebird. For 10-15 minutes it hunted insects from the it's perch on the fence along the west side of the garden, sometimes swooping to gradb one on the inside of the garden and sometimes on the outside.

Other insect pest control: I have set up a birdbath in our garden to attract birds. A toad about the size of a small adult fist showed up in our garden. I made a shelter and a provide a small bowl of water for it. Hopefully it will stay and patrol the entire garden.

Cutworms: Yes, they are here and the damage shows they are an equal opportunity cutter!! They like both tillied and non-tilled areas. I saw evidence of them in Maria's, Basantas', Brushs' and our garden. Here is a helpful website with ideas. I did dig around our cut plant and found the culprit. I am heading up to the garden to put toothpicks next to each of our bean stems sine I was not able to find the culprit there. If you say it is OK, I would check in anyone's garden around a damaged plant.
http://www.weekendgardener.net/garden-pests/cutworm-050805.htm

Happy gardening!
Jeannine