I have some cucumber plants that are very infested with cucumber beetles (mostly striped, some spotted). The plants are dying from bacterial wilt, and although it's hard to access all leaf surfaces to get an accurate count, there's probably at least one beetle per leaf.
These cucumber plants are near some zucchini and butternut squash plants. The zucchini seem a bit damaged by the beetles but so far are doing okay. The butternut squash look undamaged by the beetles so far, but I have seen a few on them.
I want to prevent the spread of the bacterial wilt to my zucchini and squash. What is the best way to do this? I was thinking that removing the infected plants would be the best way, but I don't know if the beetles that are currently infecting my cucumber plants will then start wandering after the plants disappear and then congregate on my other plants in greater numbers. If there was a way to kill the beetles as I removed the cucumber plants, I think that would be the best way to prevent the spread of beetles/bacterial wilt. I don't know though, so please teach me.
Note: I asked a similar question, Cucumber with bacterial wilt, what to do to save other plants?. This is where I got the suggestion to remove the plants. Now I'm asking what to do about the soon to be homeless beetles that currently infest the cucumbers.
Another note: I have woodchips down as weed control throughout my garden, including under the cucumbers (with a few bare spots near where the stem enters the ground). I think the beetles hide under the wood chips during the day, not sure though. I don't see any on the plants during the day, but see a few crawling around the woodchips.
