Category Archives: pests

The kale came back!

We thought it was a goner, but the kale came back (not quite) the very next day. Earlier this summer we had a beautiful kale bed. We started seeds in the spring, transplanted and covered with ProtekNet bug netting. Once mature, we uncovered it to facilitate weekly harvesting. We managed to get several harvests out […]

Backyard planting update and cucumber beetles

Here’s an update on the veggies growing in the backyard. We have a slight infestation of cucumber beetles. Every morning and evening, I go out and kill these by the dozen and we have sticky traps out to try to catch them. They are so devastating to the cukes and squash, but hopefully they will […]

Pests: Cucumber beetles

Growing sans chemicals doesn’t come without challenges. The latest pest pressure has come in the form of cucumber beetles, which started feasting on my cucumber and zucchini plants. I had some yellow sticky traps that I employed as soon as I noticed they were there and then purchased a trap and lure, which has worked […]

More pests….cucumber beetles

So, I thought we had all these great beneficials on the plot, but today when I was harvesting chard, I noticed a number of these black spotted yellow beetles. Upon closer investigation, it appeared they were actually eating holes in the leaves. And, they seemed to be everywhere! Sadly, I learned these are cucumber beetles, […]

And then the hornworm moved in and so did the wasps…the cycle of life continues on the farm

Last week I reported on finding tomato fruitworms on my tomatoes. Apparently, the hornworm quickly followed. These guys are huge and scary looking with a sharp pointy horn on one end…and, wow, do they do some damage! I couldn’t believe how stripped some of the plants looked. I was also pleasantly surprised by the presence […]