These 1/6-inch pear-shaped creatures pierce plant tissues to suck out sap. Potato Bug. Plant resistant cultivars when possible. It attracts certain beneficial insects, and acts as a trap crop for insects that feed on potato plants (as well as tomato plants and other members of the same family). Because potato bugs can eat plants, most gardeners try and get rid of as many as possible of the menacing bugs before planting seeds and new plants. Potato bug traps is the use of a short board that’s coated with a layer of petroleum jelly. To impede the movement of overwintering adults, mulch at least 2-3 inches deep with a layer of clean straw or hay as soon as plants emerge. Remove the board from the site and toss the bugs into the trash can, wherein you may apply pesticides if you want to kill them and ensure they won’t come back. Potato bugs are most commonly discovered around potato or sweet potato plants, as that is their preferred food, but they can be found in other garden environments. What Do Potato Bugs Eat? To be effective, most standard dusts must be applied to the potato foliage every 7 to 10 days, beginning when the plants emerge from the ground. Place this on the ground and wait until potato bugs have fallen down and apparently get stuck. Is a yellowish bug with brown stripes running the length of its back and it is one of the most destructive bugs to potatoes. Potato bugs bites are common when clearing away debris, old leaves, or working in the garden. Wood Louse The most common name, especially on the East Coast, these critters have gained this name due to their habit of infesting potato plants. Damage to Potato Plants. Additional potato bug predators include stink bugs and spined soldier bugs. Adult flea beetles feed on a potato plant's leaves and stems, causing many small holes in the foliage. They can be widely found throughout the continental United States and Mexico, up into … Potato bugs feed on dead roots, decaying plant matter, and other organic material. In early morning, shake adults beetles from plants onto ground cloth and dump captured pests into soapy water. Affected plants often form puckered leaves, show stunted growth and can die without treatment.Moreover, the honeydew (a sweet, sticky substance secreted by aphids) promotes the growth of sooty mold and attracts ants, which protect the aphids because they want the honeydew. Aphids. The plants can loose up to 30 percent of their foliage and continue to bear a crop, according to the University of Kentucky’s agriculture school. Even though, they are commonly known as potato bugs; in fact, they are Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).Even Jerusalem crickets that belong to the genus Stenopelmatus, are referred to as potato bugs, but they are flightless insects that are neither true crickets nor true bugs. The question, “What are potato tuberworms” is a little bit more involved than the short answer of “pests.” Commonly found in tropical to subtropical regions, potato tuberworms are actually larvae, or at least it is this stage of the insect that wreaks the most havoc on your spuds. Besides being fun to say, this name is a direct reference to the bug’s ability to roll into a ball. Sage. This bug has literally eaten its way across country one potato plant after another. Roly-Poly/Rollie Pollie. Sage is another aromatic herb that helps vegetables by attracting honeybees and other pollinators, and may also help potatoes by keeping flea beetles away. 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