Get Air Potato Beetle Request Form

There are many naturally occurring controls of Colorado potato beetle. Fungi infect them, beneficial insects attack them, and toads and birds eat them.

➢ Why were the air potato beetles brought here? Initially introduced in 1905, air potato has been considered one of Florida's more invasive species since 1993, earning it a spot on the Florida Noxious Weed list in 1999.

You can go online to http://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/airpotatofiles/airpotatoforms.shtml and complete the request form. It is that simple! Once your request form is received, you will be placed on the list to receive beetles either through the mail or for pick-up at your local UF/IFAS Extension or FDACS office.

The most effective herbicides are those with main ingredients triclopyr or glyphosate (Langeland & Burkes 1998, Wheeler et al. 2007). The best time to apply herbicide is in late fall when the plant begins to move sugars back into its tubers. Repeated and well-timed applications may kill the tubers.

Treatment. Getting rid of Potato Bugs can be tough because they are known to develop a resistance to chemical treatments. Our recommendation is a combination of collecting or manually removing any Potato Bugs, larvae and egg casings by drowning them in soapy water as well as applying Viper Insect Dust.

Biological control was determined to be the most promising management strategy for this invasive plant after the discovery of Lilioceris cheni Gressit & Kimoto (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a beetle that feeds exclusively on air potato leaves.

You should spray neem oil in the evening, so it won't affect beneficial insects. You will need to reapply the neem oil frequently. It also acts most effectively against the young larvae.

If you need to use an insecticide to control potato bugs, use a spinosad-based product or an insect growth regulator such as pyriproxyfen. These are considered among the safest insecticides to use in your garden and have fewer effects on beneficial insects.