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Colorado potato beetle

In North America and much of Europe, Colorado potato beetles and their plump red larvae can defoliate potatoes in days. (In the UK it is a notifiable pest and not established.) Hand-picking and row covers work well in gardens.

Pests
A striped Colorado potato beetle on a chewed potato leaf
A striped Colorado potato beetle on a chewed potato leaf

What it looks like

The beetles are bold and easy to see.

  • Yellow beetles with ten black stripes on the wing cases.
    Striped adults Yellow beetles with ten black stripes on the wing cases.
  • Humped, red-orange larvae with black spots.
    Red larvae Humped, red-orange larvae with black spots.
  • Clusters of orange-yellow eggs under leaves.
    Yellow eggs Clusters of orange-yellow eggs under leaves.
  • Leaves eaten to the stems.
    Stripped plants Leaves eaten to the stems.

How to confirm it

Look under leaves.

  1. Egg clusters

    Bright yellow-orange eggs in groups.

  2. Larvae on tips

    Larvae feed on the youngest leaves.

  3. Adults

    The distinctive striped beetle.

What to do

Hand-pick and cover.

  1. Hand-pick

    Drop beetles and larvae into soapy water; crush egg clusters.

  2. Row covers

    Cover potatoes before beetles emerge, in a new spot each year.

  3. Mulch

    Straw mulch slows them and shelters predators.

  4. Spinosad

    Organic spinosad works on young larvae if needed.

Prevent it next time

  • Rotate potatoes as far from last year's bed as possible.
  • Check plants from emergence.
  • Remove volunteer potatoes.

What not to do

Do not wait for heavy damage; potatoes tolerate little leaf loss once tubers start to form.

In the growing guides

Where the guides mention it, with plant-specific advice.

Sources

  1. Colorado potato beetle on vegetables, University of Maryland Extension
  2. Colorado potato beetle, University of Minnesota Extension