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Organic Gardening

Cucumber beetle eating cucumbers...still safe to eat?

10 years ago

This is my first year at a full organic garden and I'm running into many issues! The one for today is: Is it safe to eat cucumbers if cucumber beetles have caused imperfections in the skin? (Assuming you wash and peel them)I just didn't know if they transmitted bacteria to the fruit that could make a human sick?

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Comments (3)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
10 years ago
Heck....I'd be darned if I let the danged beetles get ALL of the benefits from my hard work. Wash thoroughly, as usual, and enjoy.
lingon
10 years ago
As far as I've heard, your stomach acid does a pretty good job on lots of things. Stuff that is bad for you (listeria, e.coli, etc) doesn't come from nowhere, it comes from contamination with feces, human typically. And direct sunshine can do a good job killing some of those, as well.
If you have an immune disorder, then be more careful. Otherwise, I'm sure that cucumber is cleaner than anything you pick off the grocery store shelf that has been handled by several people, at least.
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My appologies then Terry. I'm always good for some goofing off and joking, although that's always difficult on a message board, because you can't tell one's tone or intention. Your reply appeared a bit rough on the poor guy/girl, but, it's gonna be ok. As for the birds, ltilton, you're gonna have to make and attepmt to figure out what kind of birds they were/are. That will make all the difference. For example, if they were birds that eat strictly insects, then you'd be ok. If they were birds that eat strictly fruits & vegetable matter, you'd be in trouble. If they were seed eaters, you'd probably be ok. If they were omnivores, then it could go either way. But, unless we know, it'll be a mystery. If you live in an urban area, odds are that they were house sparrows or house finches, but if you are in the boonies somewhere, they could have been anything. Joe
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Gibbys-Garden
10 years ago
I've had cucumber beetles nibble on my cukes and I've always eaten them after washing without any problems. If the beetles are getting bad, you can handpick them, morning is the best time to do this, or lightly spray your plants with soapy water to stave off the infestation. Dish soap works fine. Happy eating!

Here is a link that might be useful: Gibby's Garden of Maine

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