I'm not sure about the cucumber beetles - (maybe because my cukes failed this year), but if you can control the ants, you may find that you have fewer aphis - mainly on citrus. I rarely see aphis on my vegetable plants, but I also "acquired" a lot of lizards a year or so ago - haven't the slightest idea where they came from - but again, up until this year the ants were over-running the place.

We finally gave in and bought some Home Defense spray from Home Depot - to spray around the foundation of our house. It seems to be doing a good job, because for once, I can work outside without having to change my clothes to eliminate ants from invading my underwear, carring them into the house.

I have a family of birds that seem to do a fairly decent job of cleaning most insects also.

Bejay

Sorry about your cukes! We do have an exterminator who sprays the foundation for ants every three months. We need it since this whole area is one giant ant hill. Aphids/ants are kind of the chicken and the egg thing aren't they? Do aphids bring the ants or do ants bring aphids? I always thought the ants were attracted to some sort of sap the aphids put out. For sure, when I have one I have the other. (And I hate them both!!)

Thanks for the suggestions!

This is my recipe for getting rid of aphids. We don't often have them but one year my crabapple was crawling with them and the ants were farming them nicely. My friend gave me this recipe and it worked like a charm.

In a pint spray bottle mix 2 tablespoons of mouthwash with 2 drops of lemon scented dish soap and then fill the rest up with cold water.

Make sure the mouthwash has alcohol in it,--most mouthwashes do. I like the minty ones. It must be mouthwash not rubbing alcohol. Be careful with the dish soap. Too much can burn the leaves.

If you have a hose end sprayer that attaches to the hose and mixes with water you can use that. Put a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mouthwash in it and add a tablespoon of dish soap and spray away. If you use a colored mouthwash you'll know by the color when it's used up. Spray in early morning or early evening and saturate the plants.

I imagine it is the combination of the ingredients and the blast of cold water that works. All I know is my tree was covered in aphids on the day I sprayed and there was not 1 there the next day.

As for cucumber beetles I don't have any advice.

Thanks for the recipe! I'm going to write that one down. I've seen the dish soap suggestion, but I like the idea of mouthwash in there too. I'm not a scientist or anything, but it "feels" to me like something that would give them a 1-2 punch.

It's important to protect young citrus trees from ant/aphis damage, as they can cripple a newly planted tree in short order. It can be a bit of a nuisance, but at least it is a one-time thing to do, but it is advised that a band of Tangle Trap (or is Tangle Foot?) be slathered around the tree trunk to keep ants (and climbing raccoons) from reaching the upper leaves.

The directions advise placing some sort of wrap around the tree (wrapping paper) then covering that with the sticky goo, making sure the edges are well secured to the tree to prevent ants from slipping underneath.

As the tree becomes older it seems to be able to withstand the aphis attacks a bit better, but for young trees it is recommended.

I rarely have aphis on my vegetables, and I also use a strong water spray on older citrus on days that will dry the leaves before night.

It has been a good year otherwise, without the usual house invasion of an army of ants during the summer months - perhaps the cooler weather this year may also have had something to do with it.

Bejay