I am not getting any good fruits from my bitter gourd vines lately and this is how it looks like. Bitter Gourd ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Those newspaper bag hanging around the vines have little gourd in it to prevent them from borers. The drying up crown ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) The crown of the vines seem to be drying up and at first I thought that some of the vine branches could have been damaged during a storm about two weeks ago. The whole plant with the trellis did collapsed and I managed to upright it again. Alien like thingy ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Yesterday when I inspected it closer and I found this yellow alien like thingie that is sucking the life out of this vines. There like hundreds of them sucking away from under the leaves. Young Gourd ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) The young gourd were noty spared too, I think. After "Eward Scissors Hand" ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) In an attempt to get rid of these pest, at first I started cutting leaf by leaf with those critters on it. There were too many of them and I started on the whole vines. The next thing I know almost 50% of ther plant is gone. Anybody have any idea what are these thing and how to deal with them? HELP!!!!
Could it be Cucurbit Beetle? I've heard that they can destroy gourd crops KK. I really don't have any experience though with Bitter Gourds or the insects that attack them.
Thanks Eileen, I don't think they are Cucurbit Beetle because they don't have wings and they do not move around actively. They usually stay still in a position until the job is done before proceeding to another location. Today I found more of these pest on the lower part of the vines .... maybe I have to destroy the whole plant and start over.
I have grown the Bitter Melons (I think they are the same thing you call a gourd)I haven't seen a critter like that.They are easy to grow here.What do ya'll do with them.I ate them when they turned yellow.They are tasty little fruit.
KK Ng, If the alien critters have a soft body, insecticidal soap may kill them. Take a tablespoon of soap (not detergent), add one teaspoon of vegetable oil, add one quart of tepid water and shake vigorously. Spray this on the bugs directly and it should kill them. This is not a preventive--it has to have contact with the bugs and will not discourage them from coming. Yikes! I've never seen any bug like those!
Yes Glendann, Bitter Melons and bitter gourds are the same. They are easy to grow here too and I just love eating them. The fruits are usually harvested before it turn yellow, just before is the best. We normally eat it stir fried with beef, fish or pork. Sometimes we make soup boiled with pork ribs and it is very refreshing ...hmmm yum yum. Marlingardener I grab one of those aliens and squeeze it. Yes it is a soft critter like a caterpillar. Can I make use of hand soap? Is this concotion safe for the plant or do I have to wash it off after that? Thanks for the tip and I would like to try it.
Hand soap is fine, just make sure it is soapand not a "hand wash". The insecticidal soap doesn't hurt the plant at all. At the worst you will have a faint white blush on the leaves from where the soap mixture dries. It is not necessary to rinse it off at all, unless you are eating the leaves or fruit of the plant. It won't hurt you, but it might taste a bit funny! I do hope you can eradicate those aliens and enjoy your bitter melons!
Thanks for the confirmation Marlingardener, really appreciate it. Will make use of it if there is another invasion, let's hope not . Currently after my severe trimming, I was not able to find anymore of those aliens this evening and I am keeping my fingers crossed.
KK if you do find any more of those weird little alien creatures maybe it would be a good idea to keep some. The reason I say this is that, as we don't know what they are, it would be interesting to see what they turn into. They may be butterflies, moths, beetles or bugs but whatever they are it's best we find out so that you can prevent them harming your plants in years to come. At least we know what they like to eat so it wouldn't be a problem to feed them and to watch them develop.
Oops!! Eileen it is a great idea but I can't see any of them today OK if I see them again I'll try to keep them as pets until the metamorphosizes .... if they do!! Thanks
I managed to get some of those yellow thingie and kept them in a box until they metamorphosizes. Bugs ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) This is the first stage of change. Is it a Lady Bird?? ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Could it be a Lady Bird?? My bitter gourd vine is almost dead ... guess I have to plant another If they are lady bird then I'll be :-D no problem to sacrifice a vine
bug infestation I know this is a really late reply to your post from sept 2110, but the pest in your picture was a potato or bean beetle larvae, not a lady bug/bird, destroy all the larvae you find in the future. As you found, they are very destructive. you can usually use a product such as sevin if you want immediate results or hand pick them and dump them in a bucket of soapy water.
Many thanks Carolyn in IDing these little nasties for KK and for us all. I've looked them up on the internet and found a website that may be useful. http://www.almanac.com/content/mexican-bean-beetles
Thanks Carolyn and welcome. I nearly believed that they were lady bugs. Thanks for the web-site Eileen. Now I can destroy them with a clear conscience.
