Two weeks ago I was looking at my Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat squashes and noticed quite a number of little beetles that I had never seen before. A quick internet search revealed that it was the Striped Cucumber Beetle. I'm used to the Spotted Cucumber Beetle in very small numbers, but I have never seen its striped cousin, and in much larger numbers. At first they were only in one section of my garden, but I later found them on my zukes and Delicatas on the other side, but not as many. I went to the garden allotments at my job and found them there too.
I read that that in the Northern Willamette Valley, where previously these beetles were hardly seen, they are now increasing in number due to increased curcubit crops being grown here.
I spent a good deal of time searching for and squishing all that I could find. The good news is that these beetles are active during the day, feed and mate on the top surfaces of the leaves, and are pretty easy to catch. After extremely diligent search and destroy missions, I find only a single beetle not even once a day. I think I have the problem under control, for this year. Who knows what next year has in store.
I would advise any Willamette Valley vegetable gardeners to keep an eye on your squashes, cukes and melons for this pesky critter.