Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittatum) overwinters as an adult in sheltered areas such as leaf litter, weeds and plant debris. In spring, beetles emerge and move onto cucumbers, squash and other cucurbits, where they chew leaves, stems and flowers. Young seedlings are especially vulnerable and can be severely damaged or killed. Females lay eggs in the soil near the plants, and the larvae feed underground on roots.

The more serious threat is bacterial wilt. Some striped cucumber beetles carry the bacterium Erwinia tracheiphila and can transmit it to susceptible plants while feeding. Cucumbers are particularly vulnerable. Once bacterial wilt develops, there is no cure and affected vines may rapidly wilt and die.

How to Fix It
Protect young plants: Use floating row cover or insect netting to keep beetles off seedlings. Remove it when flowering begins so pollinators can reach the flowers.
Hand-pick beetles: Knock beetles into soapy water, concentrating on young plants where feeding causes the greatest damage.
Check plants frequently: Beetles can arrive quickly, so inspect seedlings and new growth regularly.
Remove wilted plants: Pull plants showing bacterial wilt promptly so beetles cannot feed on them and potentially carry the bacteria to healthy plants.
Clean up weeds and debris: Remove weeds, leaf litter and crop debris that can provide food or overwintering shelter.
Use a trap crop: Blue Hubbard squash is highly attractive to cucumber beetles and can be planted to draw beetles away from the main crop.
Use straw mulch: Straw around established plants can interfere with beetle movement and egg laying around the base of plants.