Natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle: who eats them?

Every gardener has encountered potato pests like the Colorado potato beetle at least once. They can be controlled with chemicals, or you can introduce natural enemies to the potato beetle.

The Colorado potato beetle doesn't have many enemies, but sitting back and waiting for this pest to ruin your entire crop isn't a good idea. This article will discuss the birds and insects that prey on the Colorado potato beetle.

Natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle

Today, natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle can help in the fight against it. Insects that prey on this beetle include ladybugs, lacewings, and seedeaters.

As for birds, they include:

• guinea fowl;
• pheasants;
• partridges;
• turkeys.

Ladybug

The ladybug is one of the most common insects. Gardeners can thank it for eliminating Colorado potato beetles, aphids, and many other pests that often plague gardens and vegetable plots. However, ladybugs are only effective in the early stages of pest control, as they feed only on eggs and small larvae. Adult insects, however, are not attractive to ladybugs.

Lacewings

Lacewings are also an insect that destroys potato pests. This insect resembles a small midge. It attacks more than just the Colorado potato beetle. Like the ladybug, it also eats larvae and eggs. Adult beetles, however, require other methods.

Sifrids

These insects are also known as hoverflies. These small predatory flies are capable of controlling the larvae and eggs of the Colorado potato beetle. Although small in size, they can be very useful in the early stages.

As we can see, all insects that are natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle will only be useful at the very beginning, until the eggs and larvae hatch into adults. If this stage is missed, these insects will be useless.

Guinea fowl

This bird is domesticated and requires little care. They tolerate a wide range of temperatures, with temperatures ranging from -50°C to +40°C (104°F). Furthermore, guinea fowl lay hypoallergenic eggs. These eggs are safe for children and even those on a special diet. These birds don't dig up the soil, but rather scavenge for larvae from plants. These small birds enjoy Colorado potato beetles, so they're not afraid of even the beetle population. Guinea fowl eat both larvae and adult beetles. Besides ridding plots of pests and laying eggs, they also provide delicious meat.

Important: if the area is 10-15 days, then 3-4 guinea fowl will be enough for this area to fight the Colorado potato beetle.

Pheasants and partridges

Partridges and pheasants are often seen in garden plots. They help get rid of beetle larvae, among other things. Like guinea fowl, these birds are easy to care for and tolerate minor care and maintenance issues. Pheasants are sometimes allowed to roam freely on the property. However, they need to be monitored, as not only can they feast on pests, but they can also trample crops and damage the harvest.

Turkeys

These birds also eat Colorado potato beetle larvae, but they require special care. They can be susceptible to various diseases. Therefore, they require more attention when raising, caring for, and raising them.

Poultry should be walked in June, because this is the time when beetle larvae actively develop.

What bird eats the Colorado potato beetle?

From the above, we can answer the question of which poultry eat the Colorado potato beetle. However, besides poultry, other birds also eat the Colorado potato beetle. These include:

• ravens;
• starlings;
• sparrows;
• hazel grouse;
• cuckoos.

Can chickens be used against the Colorado potato beetle?

To use ordinary chickens to kill the Colorado potato beetle, they first need to be trained. Otherwise, the larvae will remain on the potatoes.

In order for chickens to get used to fighting Colorado potato beetles, they need to start training at 3-4 months of age.

The training is quite simple:

1. First, you need to crush the beetle larvae and add them to the chickens' feed.
2. In the second stage, you need to add potato tubers or tops to the feed. This way, the chickens will get used to the potato smell.
3. After a week, the amount of supplements can be increased.
4. Once the chickens get used to the potatoes and larvae, they can be safely released into the area.

As we can see, not only can chickens be used against the Colorado potato beetle, but, most importantly, they need to be trained to do so.

Reviews

Alenka Mospina:

"We struggled with the Colorado potato beetle for a long time using various chemicals. It all worked with varying success. Then we decided to get guinea fowl. We initially considered turkeys, but abandoned the idea because they require more and more frequent care. Guinea fowl aren't picky, and they do a great job. They just need to be trained to eat the beetles, but that's not difficult at all. We really liked this option because, in addition to getting rid of the beetles, we also get food. The eggs and meat are very tasty and healthy."

Marisha Marishkina:

"I also recently decided to get this type of poultry, but no one told me that if you decide to get guinea fowl, you need to clip their flight wings, because they haven't forgotten how to fly like chickens. Otherwise, everything is fine; these birds rarely get sick and don't require special or constant care."

https://youtu.be/oyX2GCPtuC0

Eva Kirina:

"Poultry certainly helps with pest control, but I prefer other methods. When planting potatoes, I usually put one or two beans in the hole. This effectively repels Colorado potato beetles. And I use poultry, whether guinea fowl or chickens, as a supplement."