What is the Colorado potato beetle afraid of?

The Colorado potato beetle is one of the most voracious pests in the garden. It is not necessary to fight it with the help of chemicals, because they then end up in the potatoes that we eat. Read on to learn about natural ways to kill these insects.

Spray solutions

Infusions and decoctions, which are capable of providing protection and destroying the beetle (we take 10 liters of water, unless otherwise indicated):

• birch tar: stir 100 g in a bucket, process three times over seven days;
• walnut is used as a mixture: 1 kg of fresh (or 300 g of dried) leaves and shells are poured with boiling water, infused for a week, then the infusion is filtered;
• celandine: add dried (or fresh) stems and leaves to the container, add water, boil for a quarter of an hour, dilute the resulting concentrate before use (0.5 l per 10 l of liquid);
• poplar: load its leaves into a container (up to half), bring to a boil, after boiling, cook for 15 minutes, bring the volume to 10 liters and leave to brew for up to three days;
• garlic: chop 200 g of heads and arrows, infuse for 24 hours to 4 days (the longer, the stronger the infusion);
• hot pepper - 100 g, boil for 2 hours;
• onion peel: 300 g diluted in hot water (70 ^ᵒC), press down the mass with a weight, the infusion is prepared for 24 hours;
• dandelion: boil 200 g for 15 minutes, cool and filter, take 0.5 liters of decoction per 10 liters of water.

IMPORTANT.For safety reasons, work with rubber gloves; unused volumes of solutions should be disposed of. We carry out the treatment in calm and dry weather, in the evening (the sun's rays reduce the beneficial properties). For the best effect, alternate infusions; you can add soap to them.

Bug repellent plants

The Colorado potato beetle does not tolerate proximity to some crops, the smell of which repels these voracious insects:

• calendula;
• nasturtium;
• beans;
• tobacco;
• marigold;
• coriander;
• night violet;
• matthiol;
• borage;
• hemp.

This vegetation is planted either in rows near the potatoes, or directly among the tops.

Service Animals

One of the effective ways to destroy the pest is to accustom poultry to a new menu. The following will do the job perfectly:

• quail;
• turkeys;
• chickens.

An unusual diet is given to chickens; for this, beetles can be crushed or rolled into bread crumbs. A grown bird, walking in the garden, will itself look for insects that have become part of its diet.

ON A NOTE. Turkeys and guinea fowl (Guinea breeds of chickens) do the best job. Quails will also happily consume their favorite delicacy, since they naturally have a penchant for such a menu.

The listed control methods may not give a 100% result, but they will reduce the number of beetles on your site to a safe minimum. This will ensure the safety of the crop in future seasons. And remember: Over time, pests adapt to chemicals, but natural remedies do not lose their effectiveness.