Pests & diseases › Asparagus Beetle
Asparagus Beetle
Distinctive black-and-red beetle. Adults and grey-black larvae strip asparagus foliage in summer.
Symptoms
- Black beetles with cream squares on red wing cases
- Slimy grey-black grubs on foliage
- Ferny foliage stripped back to bare stems
- Brown patches on spears in spring
Lifecycle
Adults emerge April, lay eggs on spears and foliage May–September.
What to do
- Hand pick adults and larvae every few days — drop into soapy water
- Encourage ladybirds — they eat the eggs
If it's bad
- Pyrethrum spray after the cutting season ends
Stop it coming back
- Clear all foliage and bin in autumn — beetles overwinter in debris
- Cultivate around crowns lightly to expose overwintering adults to birds
Crops it goes for
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.