Preventative Measure	Description
Daily Inspection	Regularly walk through your garden rows to scan for adult potato beetles. Early detection helps prevent infestations.
Plant Resistant Cultivars	If potato bugs are common in your area or you’ve had trouble before, consider planting resistant cultivars. These varieties are less susceptible to infestations.
Protect Your Plants	Use physical barriers like row covers or netting to shield your plants from potato bugs.
Crop Rotation	Avoid planting potatoes in the same spot year after year. Potato bugs overwinter in the soil, so rotating crops helps disrupt their life cycle.
Mulch Deeply	After your potatoes grow foliage, spread a layer of straw mulch. This helps repel beetles and keeps them away from your crops.
Natural Predators	Introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs, which are natural predators of potato beetles. They can help control the beetle population.
Plant Deterrents	Consider planting catnip, sage, or tansy around your potato crops. These herbs naturally discourage potato bugs from infesting your plants.

Control Method	Description
Beneficial Insects	Having beneficial insects in the garden, such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps, predatory stink bugs, and lacewings, can help control the potato bug population. These insects consume the bugs and their eggs.
Beneficial Nematodes	Beneficial nematodes are useful, especially if you have overwintering potato bugs. They can help reduce the population of these pests.

Aspect	Impact
Increased Control Costs and Yield Losses due to Insecticide Resistance	In Michigan, insecticide resistance in the Colorado potato beetle led to control costs of up to $306 per hectare and yield losses of up to 12.2% statewide and 20.5% in seriously affected areas. The total costs plus losses to the industry in 1994 amounted to $13.3 million (equivalent to 13.7% of the crop value). Integrated pest management practices were adopted to mitigate these losses. Long-term increased costs to the Michigan industry due to insecticide resistance are estimated at $0.9 to $1.4 million per year.
Impact on Potato Tuber Yields	Both adult beetles and larvae of the Colorado potato beetle reduce potato tuber yields by devouring foliage. If damage occurs prior to tuber formation, yield losses can be as high as 100%.

Aspect	Future Outlook
Neonicotinoid Resistance	Neonicotinoid seed treatments, once effective, are now losing their effectiveness against the Colorado potato beetle. Resistance to neonicotinoids is growing, and field-level failures are becoming more common.
Alternative Treatments	Researchers are exploring alternatives such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and RNA interference (RNAi). Bt has shown promise in controlling pests, and RNAi holds great potential for managing the Colorado potato beetle (potato bug).
Management Strategies	Integrated approaches combining seed treatments, in-furrow, and foliar insecticides are being evaluated. Some treatments like Verimark, have not performed as expected, while others, like the foliar insecticide Delegate, have shown good control.
Cultural Practices	Crop rotation remains essential to prevent beetle buildup. Mulching and other cultural practices can help reduce beetle presence.

Table of Contents

Identifying the Potato Bug