drscott I've added a post to this one on the bean forum to call attention to Jim's and Rodger's reports about the environmentally-friendly Pediobius foveolatus. I think we need an arsenal of weapons against the Mexican Bean beetle depending on our budgets and needs. I like to use trap crops, in most cases more accurately called "lure crops", to attract pests away from crops we want for ourselves and then dispatch them in the most environmentally-friendly way possible. There is no way we can eradicate every pest in our gardens and we shouldn't try, or we'll end up poisoning everything and tearing every hair from our heads! Most of us can live with some insect damage. But I, for one, am grateful for those who ID answers to insect pest problems and share them with the rest of us. What I can do or imagine is limited. Anyway, I just wanted to call attention to the lure crop technique for dealing with these pests, too. Next is to find an environmentally-friendly way to dispatch them if they can be lured away from the beans I want to eat to those I don't and if it isn't cost-effective to purchase Pediobius foveolatus to do them in! Pyrethrin is recommended, but I don't know how lethal it is to beneficial insects, so I have some more research to do.

Hamiltongardener-- if you're in Hamilton, Ontario, they will overwinter in your soil. I'm in St. Catharines, and granted, we're a wee bit warmer here....Lake Ontario still gives us both some good warmth before the deep snows fall, adding further protection to the soil. Start feeding finches near your beans. They think MBB are tasty treats. :) The beetles come back every danged year. There's a local company here that sells beneficial insect..I found their prices out of my small backyard garden's range, but I haven't emailed to ask if I can purchase a much lesser quantity for a much lesser fee. And if you want to check out my garden blog, it's at http://cannedam.blogspot.com I blogged these nasty buggies the other day. My control: pick them and drown them in a bowl of soapy water. I'm getting a finch feeder, though! Here is a link that might be useful: NIC in Stevensville, Ontario

My beans usually get covered but they don't usually get really bad until just about the time we're through picking beans for the season. This year I've planted bush beans which are flowering now and pole beans which come later. I too would like to keep them under control. I usually end up pulling up the plants at the end of the season and burning them along with the larvae that ate all of the leaves. If I use a row cover how would the beans get pollinated? Iv'e only seen a few beetles so far and have hand picked them but like cucumber beetles they drop off the plant if you're not fast enough. I don't want to spray anything because I have 6 honey bee hives in the back yard. Do these beetles have any predators?

Was reading all your posts on Mexican bean beetles because for the first time ever this year I'm really battling them. They started on the green beans and are now on the winter beans. I was away for a week on vacation and that's when they decided to descend, apparently, in very healthy state. Always before, I could squash as I found them and always won the game. I'm worried I might not this year. So, we've started a great squashing campaign, and we will take no prisoners! I sure don't want to use pyrethrins--for one thing, my neighbor keeps bees---there are so many good guys out there that I just don't want to go that route. My husband, who's a biologist by training,thinks that the Bt which I use on my broccoli--successfully-against the cabbage worms will work on the bean beetles...the larval stage, of course. Even though they don't become moths or butterflies, they are truly caterpillars at that stage. So, just finished spraying all the beans to the best of my ability. Whew. We shall see. I'll post updates so you all can know the results.