Home remedies to eliminate potato beetle

The crop rotation It is a traditional and very beneficial method, which consists of alternate crops from different families in our plantation, without repeating never two seasons in a row. By doing so, not only do we avoid depleting the soil of a certain type of nutrient, but we also favor the fact that the pests that depend on certain crops cannot spread in the area as they do not have continuous sustenance.

There is a large amount of information about crop rotation and there are rotations from very simple to more complex, to which it is advisable to gradually adapt to be able to enjoy all its benefits. You can read more about this topic in this other article on What is crop rotation, its types and benefits.

There are crops like flax or carrotwhich have natural components with the ability to repel potato beetle. By associating our solanaceous crops with these species, we can avoid the dangers of this pest, alternating lines of carrots or flax with the plants to be protected or surrounding them with them.

Here you can learn more about the cultivation techniques of organic farming.

The padding technique, mulching or carpeting It consists of putting a cover of a few centimeters of straw or some other equivalent material on the soil of the crop to be protected. This cover protects the soil from the sun and extreme temperatures, as well as helping to maintain moisture and making it difficult for pests to move between plants, as well as favoring the development of predatory species, helping biological pest control. Shavings of arborvitae, a kind of conifer that repels the potato beetle.

Here we tell you how to make a padding for plants or mulching.

Another way to easily apply a biological pest control is by cultivating some medicinal plants in beds or hedges with the ability to attract potato beetle predators. If we put some hedges of rosemary, chamomile or basil near the potatoes, tomatoes or aubergines, we will attract beneficial insects such as lacewings, ladybugs or predatory bugs, which feed on the beetle. Also many birds attack this pest.

Learn more about Biological Pest Control: what it is, advantages, disadvantages and examples with this other post.

It is possible to use beneficial bacteria like Bacillus thuringiensiswhich removes the potato beetle larvae, preventing adults from reproducing. The good thing about this method is that the bacteria have a fairly specific scope of action, without harming the rest of the crop.

An alternative to pesticides and pesticides is diatomaceous earth for the potato beetle, which dehydrates parasites. Here you can learn about What is diatomaceous earth and what is it for.

This is another method related to the biological control of pests, since there are also fungi that attack this pest and that, therefore, we can apply to our crops to eliminate the pest of this insect. One of these fungi is Beauveria bassianawhich has the ability to do make the potato beetle sickso he eliminates it and makes those who survive leave, seeing that it is not an area in which they can prosper.

Among these tubers, earliest potato varieties they don’t need to spend so many days in the ground and they allow us to harvest before summer. During these months is when the life cycle of the pest is complete, so an early harvest interrupts it and ends the problem.

We recommend knowing the different types of potatoes.

can be crafted ecological insecticide for the potato beetle from horseradish.

1. Fill a container halfway with horseradish leaves, then cover them completely with water.
2. Let the mixture macerate for 10 days, and then strain the liquid.
3. You must apply the mixture obtained with a sprayer, directly on the crop to be protected.

Horseradish is quite harmful to the beetle, so it won’t be long before you notice the infestation diminishing. Besides, if you don’t have this radish but you have nettles near the area where you have the garden, you can use the nettle slurry for potato beetle, which is a fermentation of the leaves of this plant in water, which takes several days to make (even a week) and then you have to spray it on the crop. Due to the delay in its preparation, it is also used as a preventive treatment, thus preventing various pests from appearing. If the plague is severe, you can try the two liquids together.

Another ecological insecticide against potato beetle pest It is made with citrus.

1. Separate the skin of some oranges and lemons and boil it for a few minutes.
2. Then, let the mixture cool and sit for a full day.
3. After that time, strain the liquid and get rid of the rest.
4. Use the mixture by spraying it with a spray bottle on your potatoes, tomatoes or aubergines. Citrus fruits have a powerful repellent effect on the potato beetle, which will soon be gone.

The neem, neem, or margosa oil it should be used as a last resort, as it has the ability to kill a large number of insects, some of which are beneficial to the crop. It can be made from the plant itself or purchased from specialized establishments and must always be applied while protecting our eyes and respiratory tract, as well as our hands, since its high concentration can be harmful.

After learning about all these natural remedies to eliminate the potato beetle, we recommend you read here about How to combat pests in organic farming for more information. In addition, we recommend these guides on When to Plant Potatoes and How to Plant Potatoes.

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