My potatoes are doomed. :(

[W.Lynn]

Little hand held things like dust busters are probably the way to do it.

[nichevo]

Ok...we want pics! What happened?

[El]

Well, it started sucking in the potato plant leaves and when I grabbed the plant to keep it from being sucked in, the hose dropped on the ground and I sucked up about a pound of dirt. You don't need pictures. I'm sure you have a fairly accurate picture in your mind already. I had to use six extension cords to get the shop vac to work up there. All for a five second experiment. I always have to find out things for myself the hard way.

Ah well... it was worth a shot.

[nichevo]

You should see my sunflower.....DECIMATED! I coated it in Diatomaceous Earth tonight....we'll see if it survives the night

[El]

You know...I planted enough potatoes that even if the worst case scenario happens I will likely still have more than enough for my needs and for replanting next year. What discourages me is that I had planned to give a lot of potatoes to others. I may not have them to give, but thinking even longer term, what if me and mine were relying on this potato crop?

If we ever HAD to survive on what we could grow? The beetles are so bad that I'm not sure a person could grow enough food. Then again, I have other crops that are doing very well. I'm just really frustrated that I have pests at all. I want a perfect garden. <grins>

Then again, I could be overreacting to all this and end up with 1000 lbs. of potatoes from the 50 lbs. I planted. I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens.

[W.Lynn]

You know if you and others were really relying on those potatoes, you would be skipping a lot of other minor things to spend time removing them by hand. Anyone who was also hoping to eat them would be out there helping.

[nichevo]

Chemicals will ensure a bumper crop.

[El]

You know if you and others were really relying on those potatoes, you would be skipping a lot of other minor things to spend time removing them by hand. Anyone who was also hoping to eat them would be out there helping.

You are absolutely right. I would not be out there all by my lonesome trying to pick them off myself. One solitary figure fighting a war against thousands of the little .

Chemicals will ensure a bumper crop.

I sprayed liquid 7 twice, but I won't do it again. It did not help at all and apparently you have to keep reapplying it frequently for it to work for the bugs that are not immune to it. I'm just not willing to do that. I want the ladybugs and the worms and the bees to stay safe. Now that W. Lynn has pointed out the obvious and made me feel much better about the situation, I will continue with the battle, but I am not going to stress when I have some losses.

[W.Lynn]

Are there any hobby shops around where you can get a nice little bug & butterfly net? You'd brush it up the plant stems, and along branches and leaves, and try to knock the into the net.

I guess you could try feeding them to something, but I'd probably dump them straight into a fire pit with a small bed of coals going.

[MillenniumMan]

Let's email him some lawn lizards to eat the bugs.

[nichevo]

Look up orange oil or garlic spray

[nichevo]

Chemicals will ensure a bumper crop.

I was being sarcastic! I am trying to stay organic even if it kills me trying to succeed

[W.Lynn]

Maybe it's time for some biological warfare?

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/...otato-beetles/

[Jstwaiting]

Dish soap spray ?? Kills box elder bugs.....

[airdrop]

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/natural...ugs-25429.html (neem oil )

http://pestcontroloptions.com/insect-control/garlic-spray-recipe

When we grew potato's I was out 2 and 3 times a day picking them off and look under leaves for eggs and smash them or remove leaf and destroy . get chickens