Asparagus beetle

[Annemieke]

Does anyone have ideas about what to do against asparagus beetle? We have had them for years but every year there are more. We grow nasturtiums and spring onions next to them which were supposed to help, but without effect. We pick off as many beetles as we can every day, in the season which is getting longer and longer. What else can we do?
Annemieke Wigmore, Somerset UK: http://thoughtforfood-aw.blogspot.com.

[Annemieke]

[Digeroo]

Welcome to A4A Annemieke.  Looks like no one is getting rid of them!  But many thanks for posting, I had not heard of them since I have not grown the stuff before so will keep an eye out for them.  I am told they do not like tomato plants. 

I am going to Evesham on Friday so if no one has responded by then I have a contact there who will know what they do about them.  He has fields of the stuff.

[small]

I had them for the first time last year, I was horrified and not a little disgusted to find all these little spikes sticking out of the spears....I cut everything right down to under the soil, and inspected 3 times a day (yes, easy for me, garden not lottie). It took about a fortnight till I stopped finding beetles, but was clear for the rest of the year. I've already started inspecting the bed so they don't get hold again this year. Someone may come along with a chemical solution, but I garden organically...

[grawrc]

Don't forget to look for their eggs on the plants and remove them too.

There are predators like birds, ladybirds and some wasps (Tetrastichus asparagi). If you interplant to attract them they'll deal with a lot of the asparagus beetles. Ladybirds like plants with umbrella-shaped flowers like coriander, dill and fennel. They also like scented geraniums, cosmos and yarrow. You can buy ladybird larvae, adults and parasitic wasps online if you don't have any in your garden/ on your plot but they would still need stuff they like to eat or they'll go looking for it somewhere else!

I think you can use neem oil spray on the plants. When the beetles start chomping it will kill them. Best to use early in the day when other insects are not about. Once it has dried on the plant it will only affect the beetles chewing the plant (or so I'm told). Not totally organic I suspect.

[Robert_Brenchley]

You could use an organic insecticide like rhubarb tea. If you hung a tit feeder over the asparagus, they'd get some of them at least.

[Annemieke]

I had them for the first time last year, I was horrified and not a little disgusted to find all these little spikes sticking out of the spears....I cut everything right down to under the soil, and inspected 3 times a day (yes, easy for me, garden not lottie). It took about a fortnight till I stopped finding beetles, but was clear for the rest of the year. I've already started inspecting the bed so they don't get hold again this year. Someone may come along with a chemical solution, but I garden organically...

What did you inspect after cutting them down - did you check the new bits as they grew, or did you go under the earth to find the beetles?

[small]

I checked upcoming spears, and firkled around the crowns nabbing any lurking just under the surface. I don't know what a 'bad' infestation is, I think I caught these fairly early on, but I was very relieved that this regime worked at least for last season. I do like my asparagus!

[Digeroo]

I have made enquiries and got the following info.  Apparently it is worse in wet years so last year was particuarly bad.  Though they did not appear until about 8 years ago.  The commercial growers as you suspected spray with some nasty chemical or other.  Apparently the eggs look like grey mould in little towers round the bottom on the plant and should be gently rubbed off.

[Digeroo]

I need to get my ears washed out.  Just been sent a lovely pic of the eggs

http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/asparagus-beetles/img/asparagus-beetles-4.jpg

[Annemieke]

What did you inspect after cutting them down - did you check the new bits as they grew, or did you go under the earth to find the beetles?

I did not realize you could find the beetles under the soil - I thought maybe that they did not become beetles till they were up there, in the fresh air? Anyway, I'll have a go at firkling underground this year, thanks.

[ed dibbles]

Just found this link suggesting using tansy clippings long term against beetle  on the asparagus beds.

http://tomclothier.hort.net/page19.html

It makes interesting reading though obviously I can't vouch for its effectiveness.

[squeezyjohn]

I've just found these on mine too



Quite a handsome creature ... but I like asparagus more!

I must have caught them the first day they emerged as there weren't many eggs that they'd laid on the stalks and I squished any that I found at it and then checked the ferns for eggs and squished those too.  Fortunately the patch in my garden is relatively small and it's not too much of a problem to check them manually - but it's another thing to battle for my crops