Red Pumpkin Beetle Control

Symptoms

Bright reddish orange beetles feed on cotyledons and young leaves making small round holes and a shot hole appearance, often skeletonising tender seedlings. Severe early feeding can kill seedlings outright. The grubs live in the soil and feed on roots and on fruits touching the ground, causing rotting of those fruits.

Damage

Red pumpkin beetle is a serious pest of cucurbits and is most damaging at the seedling and cotyledon stage when it can cause 30 to 100 percent losses by destroying young plants, forcing repeated resowing. The soil dwelling grubs damage roots and underside of fruits. Damage is highest in warm weather after germination.

Organic & cultural control

Sow a little extra seed to compensate for early loss and protect seedlings with fine net or cover during the vulnerable stage. Dust wood ash or neem cake around young plants in the morning when beetles are sluggish, and hand collect beetles early. Spray neem oil or neem seed kernel extract, and plough the field after harvest to expose grubs and pupae in the soil.

Chemical control

When beetles are heavy at the seedling stage, a recommended insecticide such as carbaryl, a neem based formulation, or a labelled spray for cucurbit beetles can be applied to protect young plants, ideally in the morning. Avoid spraying open flowers to protect bees that pollinate cucurbits. Use only labelled products at the correct dose, follow the pre-harvest interval and consult your KVK or agronomist before spraying.

Always follow the product label, the recommended pre-harvest interval, and your local KVK or agronomist. Pesticide approvals change, so verify before use.

Prevention

Sow at the recommended time and treat or protect seedlings during the early stage when beetles are most damaging. Use ash or neem cake as a deterrent, hand pick beetles, and keep the field and bunds clean of cucurbit weeds. Deep plough after harvest to destroy grubs and pupae, and rotate with non cucurbit crops.