The Walden Effect: Homesteading Year 5. Farming, simple living, permaculture, and invention.

Homestead Blog

Innovations:

Homesteading Tags

Recent Comments

Search


Blog Archive

User Pages

Login

About Us

Submission guidelines

Store

Asparagus beetle management update

asparagus beetle management system working

asparagus beetle close up nice and cute
Our new way of dealing with Asparagus Beetles is to cut down the asparagus plants in the Fall and use them as deep bedding in one of the chicken coops. The chickens get to snack on the larvae when they wake up in the Spring.

We only found one Asparagus Beetle last year and zero for 2012.

Maybe 2013 will be our first year of serious asparagus?



Want to be notified when new comments are posted on this page? Click on the RSS button after you add a comment to subscribe to the comment feed, or simply check the box beside "email replies to me" while writing your comment.


RSS
Good Idea

I guess I thought the beetles overwintered in the mulch and soil, but it sure wouldn't hurt to try. I'm going to have to try this, and hey. Another source of carbon for bedding!

I love that I can come here everyday and you have something new for me to think about. You guys do a great job, keep it up.

Comment by Joe — Tue Oct 23 09:38:04 2012
Overwintering asparagus beetles
Joe --- You're right that the beetles usually overwinter under the mulch. The first year, I took all the mulch along with the asparagus tops to the chicken coop, which is probably what broke the beetle cycle the most. I figure it can't hurt to move the aboveground biomass to the coop now, though, just in case. (And, yes, I'm always looking for deep bedding materials! :-) )
Comment by anna — Tue Oct 23 16:43:39 2012
Add a comment