Nope, it's not the CO bean beetle. The pic didn't turn up on that page you linked to (at least not for me -- probably a computer thing). But I googled it and found a wonderful page of beetle pics (linked below). Apparently I've got 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. I put fresh Cucumber Beetle traps (in bright yellow plastic cups this time) among my squashes. I did see my first striped CBs this evening. Caught and killed about 15 of them. Here is a link that might be useful: Beetles

Are you in the Pacific Northwest? Codling moths are flying here now, just started, but the apple maggot fly is still weeks (to a month?) away....so I am not sure you really meant to say apple maggot flies. The drosophilia fly, on the other hand, will be flying, but my understanding is they are currently not a problem....but when they become a problem, they will first go for the blueberries and strawberries and won't hit most fruits until maybe near ripening time.....and probably not the pears at all.... Anyway, the wet and humid Pacific Northwest is worried about this new fly in western Washington to enter onto the scene, but Eastern Washington and most parts of the country probably doesn't have to worry....I think. California has also been concerned. I welcome corrections if I am giving misinformation. I have heard of different traps, but it seems to me that white vinegar is often one ingredient used in some of the traps. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/EXOTIC/drosophila.html

Seedmama, I only use a Spinosad product that is applied to the ground in the form of a granular or pelleted product. I don't spray any sort of liquid Spinosad product on my plants because I have bees everywhere (not beekeeper bees in a hive, just native, local ones). After I put down the Spinosad pellets, I mulch over them so the bees cannot land on them. I don't know if Spinosad applied in a pelleted or granular product to the ground would harm bees, but I will assume it isn't harming mine because I have a billion bees here every year. There's always so many bees around my garden that friends of mine who are afraid of bees will refuse to go into my garden because of all the bees. In our garden, before I discovered Slug-Go and, later on, Slug-Go Plus, the sow bugs and pill bugs would literally eat every bean plant I planted as soon as it emerged. I'd lose hundreds of bean plants a year and then when I replanted, I lost those too. That changed after I found Slug-Go. I also lost tons of tomatoes, strawberries and melons to the pill bugs and sow bugs, and they are not a problem on those plants any more either. I don't think I could raise edible crops here without Slug-Go. Heather, There are different formulations of spinosad. I don't use the liquid spray formulation because it might kill bees (in fact, I think it would kill them) if they visit plants sprayed with it. This is especially true if the bees visit plants shortly after they were sprayed and before the spinosad formulation has dried. If a person uses the Spinosad spray formulation, they can greatly reduce Spinosad-related bee mortality by timing their spraying so that they are spraying when bees are not active. In my garden and yard, the bees come in heavy numbers when something is blooming that they like. When I don't have anything in bloom that they like, then they go elsewhere. I work really hard to have something in bloom for them all the time, but of course, there are some times there's a lot for them and other times when there's not nearly as much in bloom. I don't think there is anything in Spinosad that specifically attracts bees, just that it has the potential to harm them if sprayed on plants they like and visit. When applied only to the ground, I don't see how it could hurt the bees unless they land on the ground and make contact with it. Almost all broad-spectrum pesticides, whether synthetic or organic in nature, have the potential to harm bees and that is one reason to avoid broad-spectrum pesticides. Remember that Slug-Go is iron phosphate only and it is perfectly effective on snails and slugs and even pretty effective on sow bugs and pill bugs. It is the Slug-Go Plus which has both iron phosphate and Spinosad that is effective not only on snails and slugs, but also on pill bugs, sow bugs and cutworms. So, a person seeking to control snails and slugs only could use Slug-Go and other products with the same active ingredient (Escar-Go! is another one) with no fear of harming the bees. I also use an organic fire ant product that contains Spinosad, but I don't think bees visit my ant hills. Dawn

When I had a severe fruit fly problem I put a small jar on top of my bin with a 50/50 mixture of water & white vinegar plus a couple drops of Dawn detergent and I literally caught hundreds within a couple days. But the traps are only a short-term solution. You have to have a properly designed bin system with most vent holes covered with fine mesh. Also, bury all fresh scraps well underneath the old stuff. Also, each time you add new material, cover the entire top surface with a layer of soil, shredded paper, or a solid layer of newspaper. Also, empty the tea regularly.