Mustard and a bite against the Colorado potato beetle

The Colorado potato beetle is a scourge of potatoes not only in large industrial farms but also in small gardens and allotments. Therefore, controlling it is crucial for anyone involved in potato growing.

Description of the Colorado potato beetle pest

The Colorado potato beetle is a pest of nightshade crops, especially potatoes. It is a relatively large insect. Its shape resembles a teardrop on a sheet of paper: round on top and smooth and flat underneath. It is a relatively heavy insect, weighing up to 160 mg as an adult.

A unique characteristic of the Colorado potato beetle is that it enters a state of "hibernation" during the winter, until the ground warms up. During this period, it can easily survive ground temperatures as low as -9°C (-9°F). When spring arrives and the sun warms the soil to 13°C (55°F), the hibernation ends, and the insects become active in their search for food. After winter, the beetles are very hungry, so they can travel long distances to feed. This makes control more difficult.

Why is it harmful?

Everyone knows that one of the beetle's favorite "dishes" is potatoes. It doesn't care what it's eaten; it destroys everything—from the leaves to the tubers in the ground.

These insects are willing to fly long distances for food. They are very voracious, but if forced to fast, they can endure food for up to two months.

There are many different options for combating this pest, they can be divided into two large groups:

• Ready-made chemicals;
• Folk methods.

The second group is more extensive and here are some of the actively used methods:

• In small areas (gardens, greenhouses), you can manually collect leaves containing eggs and larvae, as well as the beetles themselves. Then destroy them by any means necessary—crushing them, dousing them with kerosene, or any salt solution of sufficient concentration.
• The Colorado potato beetle locates food by its smell. Knowing this, you can grow potatoes near plants that will mask their aroma. These include calendula, garlic, and legumes.
• Potatoes can also be treated with various solutions, infusions, and decoctions. Celandine, wormwood, dandelion, horsetail, and wood ash are used for this purpose. A mixture of birch and pine (or any coniferous) sawdust can also be scattered between the rows.

Mustard and vinegar for Colorado potato beetles

Another widely used and highly effective remedy is ordinary mustard powder. It can be combined with various substances (such as vinegar) to improve the results.

How to use dry mustard

Mustard works by producing a strong, unpleasant odor. It irritates most insects, including the Colorado potato beetle. While mustard doesn't kill them, they flee the odor and migrate further afield. Mustard also has an unpleasant taste, which discourages pests from eating the leaves. They therefore migrate to other plants and areas in search of tasty, mustard-free food.

A scheme for combating the Colorado potato beetle using dry mustard:

• Dry undiluted powder should be sprayed on plants, on the ground near bushes and between their rows.
• Dry mustard has a long-lasting effect. Your plants will be protected for four days.
• It's also important to ensure pest control is continued in adjacent areas. Otherwise, the treatment will be ineffective, as the beetles will return within four days.

The powder is very easy to use, and it's also cost-effective and affordable. Its effectiveness can be enhanced by combining it with other ingredients, such as wormwood or vinegar.

How to prepare the product correctly

Recipe for making mustard with vinegar in the form of a solution:

• When preparing the solution, wear gloves and avoid contact with skin;
• For a bucket with a volume of 10 liters of water, take a pack (100 grams of powder or 4 tablespoons) of mustard;
• Then carefully and slowly add 100 ml of 9% vinegar solution. Stir.
• Then add water (10 liters), stir again, let stand for a bit and use.

Rules for using the product

How to use the product correctly:

• It is better to process in the evening, when it is not so hot outside;
• Strong wind is an obstacle to processing;
• Don't skimp on the solution; apply generously. The more thoroughly you treat the bushes, the better your chances of getting rid of the pests.
• The product should not fall on the ground, but can be applied to leaves and stems;
• The procedure must be carried out regularly, and preferably in coordination with neighboring properties.

In what cases is it better not to use the product?

• The solution should be used almost immediately after preparation; it doesn't keep for long. Over time, its effectiveness diminishes and a sediment forms. Therefore, if you've forgotten about it for a couple of days, it's best to prepare a new one.
• Sun, wind, and water are your best friends, but not in this case. Time your plant treatment so it's not too hot and the sun isn't too strong—cool evening hours are best. This way, the solution will have time to work before morning.
• High humidity, whether from rain, fog, or simply heavy dew, will also ruin your efforts. The solution will simply wash away. Therefore, it's best to wait for dry, windless weather.

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Reviews

Elena Sergeevna, Pavlodar: Potato dishes are simple, delicious, and they make up most of my family's diet. Therefore, we can't do without planting potatoes in our garden. Because of this, we're quite familiar with the Colorado potato beetle; we constantly fight it. We've tried everything. I bought various poisons, but everyone would gather up the hungry pests, a kind of cleanup, and the results were limited. For the last year, I've been using a mustard and vinegar mixture. It's not expensive—do the math yourself—but it's more effective.

 

Alexander Maksimov: I'm a beginning gardener living near Krasnodar. I recently bought a plot of land, and since I love fried potatoes, I decided to grow them. I turned to folk methods, specifically a mixture of mustard and vinegar, on the advice of my neighbors, who were fed up with my complaints about chemicals. I prepare my solution like this: I take mustard powder, add a little wormwood, pour in vinegar, dilute with water, stir, and the solution is ready for processing. I don't always follow the proportions; I usually just eyeball it, so to speak. But it still works. I process the potatoes once a week. I came over on the weekend, processed them, and everything stays well until the following week. The potatoes survive well. Another important thing is that we process them together with our neighbors, each in their own plot, so the beetles fly away and don't return.