In fact most of the products available today are still around and okay to use because they don't seem to be impacting wildlife in the ways you mention. No doubt your concerns are valid. But there has been vast improvements and changes in what we have to use for insect control and one of the areas these improvements have occurred is in the long term impact treating and spraying around the yard and garden can have compared to what it used to do. Let me explain…

Back when pesticides first became commercially available and were put into production, the active ingredients being used were what we call "first generation". These actives were "okay" in how they worked but required a lot of material to be applied and at high concentrated levels. This led to them finding their way into water ways and other sensitive areas and since they were being applied at very high concentrations, they were quite persistent in the environment. On top of that, the actives were not looked at to see what type of "long term" impact their use might have.

During the 80's and 90's, it became increasingly clear many of these actives that were being used so heavily were having adverse impact on some mammals and reptiles. Careless treatments took their tool and the use of these actives were being noticed and measurable. For this reason, second and third generation products were then designed and brought to production. We're now in the 4th and 5th generation of actives and the one common thread we see with all these advancements is that these new materials are way less concentrated, less persistent and belong to chemical strings that are very far removed and different from the original designs. The net result is that they no longer impact reptiles or mammals the way they once could – even when mis-applied.

Now does this mean we've achieved some kind of "perfect" product? No way. But undoubtedly the chemistry has vastly improved and with it the old danger of impacting non target animals and other wildlife. And though I believe we'll continue to develop better and better modes of action that have less and less of a negative impact on the world around them, at this time we have some wonderful products available which can no doubt be used without much hazard or risk.

And with that being said, I'm comfortable stating that 99% of the actives we carry are so different from what I used to sell back in the 70's and 80's and that one the big benefits of these new designs is that the far reaching impact of treating in the yard is no longer putting at risk the local wildlife in how they will survive or develop. In fact most animals will simply relocate as the local source of food becomes less available. And in your case, if you limit your treatments to the garden area where cucumber beetles tend to thrive and nest, there probably won't be much of an impact on your local insect population anyway. That means your snakes and lizards will probably continue to hang around; they'll just stay clear of the areas you treat since they won't be full of food anymore.

Now to insure you have a "minimum" impact when treating, no doubt you should go with one of the organic or exempt products we list. These products are all in the "low impact" category and for this reason won't be able to have any kind of long lasting residual action. This is important. Less residual means less product lingering so therefore less "bad" impact. The tradeoff is that you'll need to spray more frequently but once you reduce or eliminate the target pests, this extra frequency of application required won't amount to much.

Additionally, the actives in products like ESSENTRIA IC are nothing more than food extracts so even if they did come in contact with local wildlife, it won't bother them. And that's what I would recommend you use for this exact reason.

No doubt a good application of the ESSENTRIA GRANULES followed by spraying with the Essentria IC over the top can handle most any insect but it won't be any kind of a hazard to wildlife, people or pets. And though the organic options might seem less risky to use because they dissipate faster, they still use more traditional "chemicals" for actives which are closer to traditional pesticides compared to the Essentria line.

Now the reason I say this is because we have accumulated data on the actives used in the Essentria line for a much longer time compared to the organic products. And the one thing we know even after all these years is that the actives in Essentria don't seem to bother wildlife in any way. So with that bit of knowledge, I'd say they'd be your best bet for use around the yard where you're goal is to spot treat certain insects but not get rid of everything. Hope this helps!

Essentria IC3: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal

Essentria Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/granule/eco-exempt-org-g-22-lb

We've got several organic sprays that can handle these pests fine. The strongest option would be the MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER. It's approved for organic gardening, works well on cucumber beetles and will handle the tomato worms too.

Organic Insect Killer: http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/multi-purpose-insect-killer

You answered questions for me about Cucumber Beetles last year. I have some more questions. I have an above-ground box garden. We were infested with cucumber beetles last year and had the same problem the year before. I haven't done anything to treat my soil. At this point, is there a product you have that I could use? We back up to a farm, wondering if that's why our problem seems to be so significant?? Please let me know how to proceed! Thanks.

I think it would be wise to spray down the ground with some VEGETABLES PLUS PERMETHRIN. This product is labeled for use on vegetables and fruit so it's safe enough to treat the plants directly. I think this will really help because there is a strong likelihood you have an established population in your soil. By treating this area early in spring, you can many times dramatically reduce the amount of activity that has been showing up the past couple of years.

I also recommend looking around the rest of the yard to make sure there are no other areas you may be missing. Most people focus in on the targeted plants along with the area close to them but cucumber beetles can thrive hundreds of feet away and from there find your garden. So as the year turns from spring to summer to fall, be sure to keep a watchful eye in the entire yard to make sure they're not prolific elsewhere and if you do find any adjacent activity, be sure to treat it.

Vegetables Plus Perm: http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/vegetables-plus-permethrin

Both of these products work well for cucumber beetles. But they have some big differences. Here's the quick list.

If you are only concerned about cucumber beetles, the MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER is the way to go. It's organic, works well on all beetles and can handle the toughness of the cucumber beetle too.

But if you are concerned with other pests like aphids or white flies and your crops have a tendency to get fungus during the growing season, consider the 3-IN-1 CONCENTRATE. This product contains a fungicide and spreader sticker so it can handle most anything the garden might get.

Both products are organic and that means you may have to treat weekly till the problems are gone. And both are very stable and can last up to 5 years in their concentrate form. So if you had a jar or two that kept for 3-4 years, no problem.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Multipurpose Insect Killer:  http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/multi-purpose-insect-killer

3 In 1:  http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/safest-3-in-1-insect-killer

Cucumber beetles are very much a destructive pest and will target plants other than cucumbers. We get quite  a few calls with people who insist they have an infestation but have never grown cucumbers! I don't think it's particularly important what you're growing that can lead to an infestation; if there is a population somewhere close by and you have a vegetable garden, expect some activity which will need some kind of treatments.

If you review our CUCUMBER BEETLE CONTROL article, you'll learn we have many organic solutions that work well. The more common concentrates we sell include the 3 IN 1 SPRAY and the MULTI PURPOSE INSECT KILLER. Both work well and will handle any garden pest. The 3 In 1 contains the fungicide so for some people, this is the way to go. But if you have a stubborn problem and feel you need the strongest organic spray around, go with the Multipurpose Insect Killer as it works well.

Here are direct links to the products mentioned above:

3 in 1 Concentrate:  http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/safest-3-in-1-insect-killer

Multi Purpose Conc:  http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/multi-purpose-insect-killer

Article:  http://www.cucumberbeetles.com/cucumber-beetle-control

First you should read our CUCUMBER BEETLE CONTROL article. Once you understand this pest, you'll realize it's best to start treating early on, before they get out of control and take over.

Second, I'd get one of the concentrates we have listed. The organic solutions are fine and work well. Treat early on with something like the MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER or GARDEN DEFENSE WITH NEEM concentrates. Either sprayed a few times early on in the season will keep them away. Then if you see any during the growing period, treat again.

We have several organic products that can be used effectively for cucumber beetles. One of the most common products used over the years has been INSECTICIDAL SOAP. It will work on them but it doesn't last and it's not the strongest option. At this time we recommend either MULTI PURPOSE INSECT KILLER or the GARDEN DEFENSE WITH NEEM. Both are extremely effective on any type of beetle and they seem to be active for a few days which helps reduce the amount of times you'll need to spray.

What most people don't realize is that 90% or more of their cucumber beetle problem is that once they get on your property, they tend to stay there breeding in the soil. If you want to get rid of them once and for all, you should treat the ground directly under and around your garden. This will help reduce effective egg laying and cucumber beetle larvae survival so in the end, you'll be able to control them before they ever become a problem. This is a much smarter approach when it comes to treating this pest.

You are right; cucumber beetles are tough. Their outer insect skin is thick and rigid making normal sprays virtually useless against this tough armor. Though INSECTICIDAL SOAP has long been used on them, there are other and newer products which work much better these days on this garden pest.

Currently we have two organic gardening sprays which work well. The MULTI PURPOSE INSECT KILLER will be fine if you are only concerned about spraying for nuisance insects. It will handle most anything and you will find it seems to last a week or more when used on cucumber beetles. If you also have mites or fungus in the garden, use the THREE in ONE CONCENTRATE. This product uses several actives which work on many insects as well as common vegetable garden fungus disease. By using the Three in One, you can take care of several concerns with just one spray.

The Striped Cucumber Beetle is an organic gardeners nightmare. They are commonly found from Central America all the way north to Canada. And though they may be hard to see, chances are if you have one you have several. More importantly, once they start laying eggs they will become a "regular" in your vegetable garden so it's best to  knock them out early on and not to give them a chance to get well established.

Fortunately we have many products available all of which are listed in our CUCUMBER BEETLE CONTROL article. If you only wish to treat the area around your vegetables, the VEGETABLES PLUS is a good option. Treatments will last 2-3 weeks and it will leave a good residual to get any hatching larvae that might be emerging from eggs left by gravid females.

If you prefer to use something organic, the 3 IN 1 or the MULTI PURPOSE INSECT KILLER are both highly effective on cucumber beetles and can be sprayed as often as needed.