If you dusted with Rotenone or Sevin , then you probably did kill off your bees as well and will have to pollinate by hand for a week or two.

Agreed, Any insecticide that will kill cucumber beetles will kill the pollinators as well. For future reference it is not a good idea to use dusts on cucurbits. The insecticide, even the short life contact ones only start to biodegrade when wet. That includes permethrin, Pyrethrin, and esfenvaluate as well as Rotenone and cabaryl. A short life spray can be used if applied appropriately. On cuke, squash and melons that means applying in late afternoon/twilight when the pollinators have knocked off for the day. In water solutions the short life insecticides break down quickly and will be ineffective when the pollinators arrive next morning.

Best to learn Organic methods. there is an organic forum on GW. Try to never or very seldom use poisons. I have not had to use poisons in 40 years.

dangould,

What do you raise in quanity?

I've tried really hard to not have to use poison. This was the first time. Because there were no preventatives taken to begin with, I'm not quite sure I had another choice. I needed to kill the bugs fast before they could lay their eggs and really do some damage. From the organic measures, I really haven't found any that seem practical for me. I don't want to introduce the "good" bugs because, quite frankly, I hate pretty much all bugs. The pharamones wouldn't work quite fast enough and planting other species of plants, well, there just isn't enough time. I'll look into it more though to see if there is anything else that I can do.

"I've tried really hard to not have to use poison."

Since you took no preventative measures, all you tried hard not to do is prepare for anything at all to go wrong. Basically, you waited until things got bad and you caved, good job.

"...and planting other species of plants, well, there just isn't enough time."

Maybe if you had planted other species of plants your beneficials would have kept your bad insects in check and you wouldn't now have to hand-pollinate; somewhat of a time-intensive task.

"quite frankly, I hate pretty much all bugs."

I guess you hate tomatoes, beans, peas, apples, oranges and pretty much every vegetable and fruit except corn and potatoes. Because your enemies the bugs are major pollinators and help create about every third bite of food you eat.
I would suggest you do some research on how helpful bugs can be. Look up some info on the dung beetle, honey bee, and ladybug.

"I'll look into it more though to see if there is anything else that I can do."

You probably won't since you've already written off the easiest things to do, but if you do a good place to start is over in the Organic Gardening forum. Read through that forum this winter with an open mind and know that organic doesn't mean free, it means better.

Cheers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Gardening

Hi growingup - I think someone already mentioned this, but for future reference, if you elect to use something then the liquid spray forms are much less damaging to the beneficials than dusts. Bees can carry the dusts back to the hive and kill even more while the liquid is fast acting and less "portable".

Please do investigate more as there are a number of less-toxic options available ranging from simple row covers to insecticidal soap sprays, to so-called egg patrols. If you learn to looks for the egg nests on the leaves you can eliminate most of them without having to spray anything.

The article linked below discusses several of them is detail.

Oh, and gardeners, to be successful, really do have to learn to be a bit more tolerant of "bugs". ;)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Controls for Cuke Beetles

The easy, organic way to control cucumber beetles (and squash vine borer and squash bugs and..._) is to use row cover. I'm not an organic grower but I can't remember the last time I had to use insecticides in the vegetable garden. I plant all cukes, squash, beans, leafy veggies under a floating row cover, held down at the edges with dirt and with enough slack so the plants can push the cover up. And I put it on right after planting the seed.
With things that need pollination, it comes off when they start to bloom. By that time the bad bugs have moved on to someone else's garden. Nice clean spinach and swiss chard, no squash vine borer, no bugs on cukes. Row covers are reusable for several years so not all that expensive. And very easy to use. A lazy approach to the problem. Personally I hate dusts more than bugs. You always end up inhaling some of the stuff, too much gets applied and it is never as effective as a water based spray.