Cucumber beetles and squash bugs are two of the worst pests in any garden. As a certified organic grower, the strongest "control" in our arsenal is 1% Rotenone--which will kill most anything except adult squash bugs and cucumber beetles (and ants--I've actually had ants live in 1% Rotenone powder). The best method of control of any pest is a "trap" crop. Sometimes you have to forfeit growing most cucurbits for a season if you're so infected with cucumber beetles or squash bugs that you simply can't continue. Of course a trap crop is a small crop of the type preferred by the insect you're trying to eradicate. Anney mentioned the squash that cuke beetles seem to be most attractive in her area, so she should use that. Do a small planting to attract the beetles to that area--it need only be 4 feet by 4 feet, or 10 feet by 10 feet, whatever suits you. When all the cuke beetles in the world are feeding on the trap crop, do them in with whatever suits you and you feel won't destroy the universe. I use pure ethanol. Do a succession of these small trap crop plantings, and at the end of the season, you'l have made a horrific dent in their population. (Unless your next door neighbor is working against you with his crop of cuke beetles allowed to run amuck.) It hurts to have to sacrifice crops you love to eat while your eradication process is ongoing--but it's sometimes necessary, and I've had to do it in the past. If you research both insects I mentioned, you'll find they overwinter in trash and debris and litter--and of course in all this stuff which is in the woods nearby, which makes it difficult--but garden cleanly and don't have junk lying around to give them instant access--leaves, old bales of hay and straw, old mulch, etc., all the things they love to hide in over winter. Good work Anney, and others, who are trying to solve the problem. I'm an organic market grower, and some years I have to leave a 10' by 10' growth of cantaloupes or watermelons to herd up all the squash bugs and cucumber beetles that were on 5 acres of cataloupes and/or watermelons, then kill the thousands of those insects that congregate on the small planting. That's the beauty of a "trap" crop. I can either spray 5 acres--or I can wait until the planting is over and leave a small trap planting where I can kill them all as they flock to it. It makes a big difference in time, energy, and money spent.

I don't know what you mean by "fairly organic," so I'm going to give you my best treatment idea. First pick off the little buggers then apply Sevin. You said "fairly..." Next, here is a link to a very good article on these beetles with reference to physical traps. Good luck. http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/cucumber-beetle08.pdf

Cucumber Beetles, Spotted and Stripped, Squash Bugs, Squash Vine Borer, etc. can be real problems in a garden but they can be controlled. Parasitic insects can help, but spraying pesticides can kill off these good gals just as well as the pests. Knocking the wee buggers into a bucket of soapy water helsp reduce the adult population as well. If pest populations need help insecticides might be necessary starting with Insecticidal Soap which must make contact on the wee buggers being the lowest toxicity. Next up would probably be Neem Oil products, followed by pyrethrin based products. For next year being prepared can help more. Floating Row Covers can help keep thses wee buggers away, although they need to be removed for pollination. Many of the insect pests overwinter outside of the garden in the borders so many people suggest diligent clean up of those areas which will also reduce habitat for the beneficial insects. Work on the soil since there is ample evidence that plants growing in good, healthy soils are better able to ward off insect pests then plants that are not as strong and healthy as they should be.

I think I figured out what I have. Bean Leaf Beetles: Bean Leaf Beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata): Adult beetles are reddish to yellowish in color, 1/4 inch long, have three or four black spots in a row along the inner edge of wing covers, and a black band occurs near the outer margins of wing covers. Larvae are whitish, dark brown at both ends, segmented, and have six small legs near the head. Adults chew holes in leaves, feeding on them from the under surface; larvae feed on roots, nodules, and on stems just below the soil surface, which can girdle the plant. more pics of them here (they do appear in yellow as well, which might have added to my confusion): http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/coleoptera/beanlb/blb_yellow_red.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1185.html http://www.oznet.k-state.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/beanleaf.htm They don't seem to kill the plants, for me they've just been a pain in the ass. Luckily, this year (so far) I've seen far fewer than last year. (Though last year was horrible for a lot of things. We had Japanese Beetles everywhere.) It's a very strange thing. I've combed through my gardening books (the main ones being E. Smith's Vegetable Gardener's Bible and Rodale's Encyc. of Organic Gardening) and none of them mention Bean Leaf Beetles. Perhaps I just missed it somehow.