Beet and Swiss Chard Insect Control

Beet and Swiss Chard Insect Control
Beet & Swiss Chard - General Beet & Swiss Chard Disease Control Beet & Swiss Chard Weed Control

Aphids (Myzus persicae or Aphis fabae)

Aphid pests may include green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) or bean aphid (Aphis fabae). See Peppers for more information about green peach aphids. Bean aphid favors plants in the Chenopodiaceae family (beets, chard, spinach, sugar beet). It feeds on a wide range of weeds (e.g. curly dock, lambsquarters, shephardspurse) as well as many other vegetables but only rarely builds to damaging levels. Bean aphid adults and nymphs are dark olive-green to dull-black in color, with dark legs. They feed on the young tissue of actively growing plants; high numbers can cause leaf curling and stunting. In general, using selective products for other pests will conserve natural enemies of aphids and prevent outbreaks. 

IRAC Group 1:

  • dimethoate (Dimethoate 4EC): 0.5 pt/A; PHI 14d, REI 48h, Bee: H, Group 1B. Swiss chard only.
  • malathion (Malathion 57 EC): 1.5 to 2 pt/A beets, 1 to 1.6 pt/A Swiss chard; PHI 7d beets, 14d Swiss chard, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 1B.

IRAC Group 3:

  • alpha-cypermethrin (Fastac* CS): 3.2 to 3.8 oz/A beets, 2.2 to 3.8 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. See resistance statement on label. Aphid control may be variable depending on species present and host-plant relationships. Aids in control for beets. 
  • bifenthrin (Brigade* 2EC): 5.12 to 6.4 oz/A beets, 2.1 to 6.4 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 1d beets, 7d Swiss chard, REI 12h, Bee: H.
  • permethrin (Pounce* 25WP): 6.4 to 12.8 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Swiss chard only.
  • pyrethrin (PyGanic EC5.0OG): 4.5 to 15.61 oz/A; 0.25 to 0.50 oz/gal, 3 gal/1000 sq ft in greenhouse for backpack sprayers; PHI 0d, REI 12h, Bee: M.

IRAC Group 4:

  • acetamiprid (Assail 30SG): 2 to 4 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: M, Group 4A. Swiss chard only.
  • dinotefuran (Venom): 1 to 3 oz/A foliar or 5 to 7.5 oz/A soil; PHI 7d foliar, 21d soil, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Do not apply to vegetables grown for seed. Suppression of green peach and potato aphid only. Swiss chard only. 
  • flupyradifurone (Sivanto): 10.5 to 14 oz/A green peach aphid foliar Swiss chard, 7 to 14 oz/A other aphids foliar, 21 to 28 oz/A soil Swiss chard only; PHI 1d foliar, 21d soil, REI 4h, Bee: L, Group 4D. 
  • imidacloprid (Admire Pro): 4.4 to 10.5 oz/A soil, 1.2 oz/A foliar beets only; PHI 21d soil beets, 45d soil Swiss chard, 7d foliar beets, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. 
  • sulfoxaflor (Closer SC): 1.5 to 2 oz/A Swiss chard, 1.5 to 2.75 oz/A beets; PHI 3d Swiss chard, 7d beets, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4C. Do not use in greenhouses or high tunnels.
  • sulfoxaflor (Transform WG): 0.75 to 1.5 oz/A (up to 1 oz/A for beet leaves); PHI 7d, REI 24h, Bees: H, Group 4C. Beets only.
  • thiamethoxam (Actara): 1.5 to 3 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A.
  • thiamethoxam (Platinum 75SG): 1.7 to 4.01 oz/A beets, 1.66 to 3.67 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 30d Swiss chard, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Systemic insecticide used at planting.

IRAC Group 9:

  • pymetrozine (Fulfill): 2.75 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: L, Group 9B. Translaminar. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 21:

  • tolfenpyrad (Torac): 17 to 21 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Not for lettuce aphids. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 23:

  • spirotetramat (Movento): 4 to 5 oz/A; PHI 3d, REI 24h, Bee: M. Must be tank-mixed with a spray adjuvant with spreading and penetrating properties to maximize leaf uptake and systemicity; don't use sticker adjuvants. Controls immature stages, may also reduce adult fertility. Do not use in greenhouses or high tunnels. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 28:

  • cyantraniliprole (Exirel): 13.5 to 20.5 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. For best performance, use with an effective adjuvant. Green peach and cotton aphid only on beets.
  • cyantraniliprole (Verimark): 6.75 to 13.5 oz/A soil at planting, 6.75 to 10 oz/A chemigation; PHI 1d chemigation, REI 4h, Bee: H. For control of green peach and suppression of potato aphid only. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 29:

  • flonicamid (Beleaf 50SG): 2 to 2.8 oz/A; PHI 3d beets, 0d Swiss chard, REI 12, Bee: L.

IRAC Group UN:

  • azadirachtin (Azatin OOG): 4 to 16 oz/A foliar or drench, 4 to 16 oz/100 gal in greenhouses; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: L. When using lower rates, combine with adjuvant for improved spray coverage and translaminar uptake.
  • Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1 (GrandevoOG): 2 to 3 lb/A; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: M.

Blister Beetles (Epicauta funebris and E. vittata)

The margined blister beetle, Epicauta funebris, and the striped blister beetle, E. vittata, are the most common blister beetles in the Northeast. These beetles have also been called the "old-fashioned potato beetle". They attack chard, beet, and spinach, along with other vegetable crops, including bean, eggplant, pepper, potato, sweet potato, tomato, and sometimes brassicas. They are very attracted to pigweed and other Amaranthus spp. and also feed on alfalfa and clover. Adults are soft-bodied, slender, long-legged beetles, about 5/8 in. long. The section of the body between the head and the wings is distinctly narrower, giving the impression that the insect has a neck. The egg, larval, and pupal stages occur in the soil, and grasshopper eggs are a favored food for larvae. There is one generation annually in the Northeast, and beetles overwinter as larvae in the soil. Margined blister beetles are dark gray or black with light-gray lines along the margins of the wings. They feed primarily on flowers and blossoms of plants but may also feed on the leaves. Striped blister beetles are yellow to rusty orange with 2 black spots on the head and 2 black stripes dorsally on the thorax and the wings. They are mainly foliage feeders and often appear in large swarms, sometimes quite suddenly, and concentrate in one particular area of a field where they can cause significant feeding damage. Blister beetles contain an oily, caustic substance called cantharidin that protects them from natural enemies. In humans, it causes temporary blisters on the skin; in livestock, especially horses, consuming cantharidin causes severe injury and contamination of hay with blister beetles is a serious concern. Where local swarms occur in a crop, a single spot spray with a broad-spectrum insecticide registered for flea beetles on these crops effectively controls blister beetles.

IRAC Group 3:

  • pyrethrin (PyGanic EC5.0OG): 4.5 to 15.61 oz/A; 0.25 to 0.50 oz/gal, 3 gal/1000 sq ft in greenhouse for backpack sprayers; PHI 0d, REI 12h, Bee: M.

IRAC Group UN:

  • azadirachtin (Azatin OOG): 4 to 16 oz/A foliar or drench, 4 to 16 oz/100 gal in greenhouses; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: L. When using lower rates, combine with adjuvant for improved spray coverage and translaminar uptake.

Cabbage Maggot

Floating row covers can be used as a barrier. No insecticides currently registered. For more information see cabbage maggot in the cabbage section. 

Flea Beetles

Several species of flea beetles feed on beets and Swiss chard. Most have a wide host range and tend to be moving among various crops and weeds. Most are black. The species that feeds especially on brassicas do not tend to feed on beets or Swiss chard. Damage (small 'shot holes') is most common on seedlings but can also occur on older leaves.

IRAC Group 1:

  • carbaryl (Sevin XLR Plus): 0.5 to 1 qt/A; PHI 7d beets, 14d Swiss chard, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 1A. Do not apply to crops or weeds in bloom. 

IRAC Group 3:

  • alpha-cypermethrin (Fastac* CS): 1.8 to 3.8 oz/A beets, 2.2 to 3.8 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H.
  • beta-cyfluthrin (Baythroid* XL): 2.4 to 3.2 oz/A; PHI 0d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Swiss chard only.
  • bifenthrin (Brigade* 2EC): 5.12 to 6.4 oz/A beets, 2.1 to 6.4 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 1d beets, 7d Swiss chard, REI 12h, Bee: H.
  • pyrethrin (PyGanic EC5.0OG): 4.5 to 15.61 oz/A; 0.25 to 0.50 oz/gal, 3 gal/1000 sq ft in greenhouse for backpack sprayers; PHI 0d, REI 12h, Bee: M.
  • zeta-cypermethrin (Mustang* Maxx): 1.76 to 4 oz/A beets, 2.24 to 4 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H.

IRAC Group 4:

  • dinotefuran (Venom): 1 to 3 oz/A foliar; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Do not apply to vegetables grown for seed. Swiss chard only.
  • imidacloprid (Admire Pro): 4.4 to 10.5 oz/A soil, 1.2 oz/A foliar; PHI 21d soil, 7d foliar, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Beets only.
  • thiamethoxam (Actara): 1.5 to 3 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A.
  • thiamethoxam (Platinum 75SG): 1.7 to 4.01 oz/A beets, 1.66 to 3.67 oz/A Swiss chard; REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Systemic insecticide used at planting.

IRAC Group UN:

  • azadirachtin (Azatin OOG): 4 to 16 oz/A foliar or drench, 4 to 16 oz/100 gal in greenhouses; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: L. When using lower rates, combine with adjuvant for improved spray coverage and translaminar uptake.

Leafminers (Pegomya hyoscyami and P. betae)

Spinach leafminer (Pegomya hyoscyami) and beet leafminer (P. betae) attack crops in the family Chenopodiaceae (Swiss chard, beet, and spinach). Spinach leafminer may also cause damage in solanaceous crops. In beets, leafminer is only a pest if the leaves are marketed or pressure is high enough to reduce root growth. This pest overwinters as a pupa in the soil, and the small (5-7 mm) gray hairy adult flies emerge from late April to mid-May. The two species are similar, but beet leafminer adults are slightly larger, darker, and prefer laying eggs on beet leaves. Female flies lay oblong white eggs (<1 mm) in neat clusters on the underside of the leaves. Eggs hatch in 3-6 days. The larva burrows between the upper and lower epidermis of the leaf and feeds, creating a slender, winding ‘mine’ or tunnel. This expands into large blotches of translucent, dead tissue across the leaf with one or more white maggots inside. Damaged leaves are unmarketable. When fully grown, maggots usually drop into the soil to pupate. The entire life cycle takes 30-40 days, and there are 3-4 generations per season, with peak activity periods in mid- to late May, late June, and mid-August. Leafminers are most important as an early spring pest, but when populations are high, overlapping generations can cause continuous season-long damage to succession-planted spinach, beets, and chard. After August, pupae enter the overwintering phase and won’t emerge until spring. A commercially available biological control is the tiny wasp parasitoid, Diglyphus isaea, which is most often used against Liriomyza leafminers (see Celery section) but has also been known to control leafminers in Swiss chard. They work best in warm weather. 

For prevention, rotate beet, Swiss chard, and spinach to new fields in the spring and during the growing season. Avoid spring plantings near tunnels where winter greens were grown. Control weed hosts, including lambsquarters, nightshade, chickweed, and plantain. Row covers protect the crop by excluding flies, but scout for eggs on transplants before covering. Scout spring transplants in the greenhouse and in the field for eggs, which are easy to spot on the underside of leaves. Treat when eggs are first observed. If tunnels and eggs are present, treat them to prevent further damage. Scout again 7-10 days later to determine if a second treatment is needed. Use an adjuvant and ensure coverage of the lower leaf surface. Some systemic insecticides are registered that may be applied to transplants or to the soil. Among organic products, spinosad has demonstrated efficacy when applied before egg-hatch. Note that some products are labeled only for Swiss chard.

IRAC Group 1:

  • dimethoate (Dimethoate 4EC): 0.5 pt/A; PHI 14d, REI 48h, Bee: H, Group 1B. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 3:

  • permethrin (Pounce* 25WP): 6.4 to 12.8 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Swiss chard only.
  • pyrethrin (PyGanic EC5.0OG): 4.5 to 15.61 oz/A; 0.25 to 0.50 oz/gal, 3 gal/1000 sq ft in greenhouse for backpack sprayers; PHI 0d, REI 12h, Bee: M.

IRAC Group 4:

  • dinotefuran (Venom): 1 to 3 oz/A foliar, 5 to 7.5 oz/A soil; PHI 7d foliar, 21d soil, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Do not apply to vegetables grown for seed. Swiss chard only.
  • thiamethoxam (Platinum 75SG): 1.66 to 3.67 oz/A; PHI 30d, REI 12h, Bee: H, Group 4A. Systemic insecticide used at planting. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 5:

  • spinetoram (Radiant SC): 6 to 8 oz/A beets, 6 to 10 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 7d beets, 1d Swiss chard, REI 4h, Bee: M. Control may be improved with the addition of an adjuvant. 
  • spinosad (Entrust SCOG): 4.5 to 10 oz/A beets, 6 to 10 oz/A Swiss chard; PHI 3d beets, 1d Swiss chard, REI 4h, Bee: M. Control may be improved with the addition of an adjuvant. Do not apply to Swiss chard seedlings intended for transplant within a greenhouse or shade house.

IRAC Group 6:

  • abamectin (Agri-Mek* SC): 1.75 to 3.5 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Swiss chard only.
  • emamectin benzoate (Proclaim*): 3.2 to 4.8 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Suppression on Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 17:

  • cyromazine (Trigard): 2.66 oz/A; PHI 7d, REI 12h, Bee: M. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 28:

  • chlorantraniliprole (Coragen): 5 to 7.5 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 4h, Bee: L. May be applied to soil at planting, through drip chemigation and as a foliar spray. Leafminer larvae only. Swiss chard only.
  • cyantraniliprole (Exirel): 13.5 to 20.5 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. For best performance, use with an effective adjuvant. Swiss chard only.
  • cyantraniliprole (Verimark): 6.75 to 13.5 oz/A soil at planting, 6.75 to 10 oz/A chemigation; PHI 1d chemigation, REI 4h, Bee: H. Swiss chard only.

IRAC Group 30:

  • isocycloseram (Incipio): 2.1 to 4.1 oz/A; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: H. Do not treat plants grown for transplanting. Not for use in greenhouses. Swiss chard only. 

IRAC Group UN:

  • azadirachtin (Azatin OOG): 4 to 16 oz/A foliar or drench, 4 to 16 oz/100 gal in greenhouses; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: L. When using lower rates, combine with adjuvant for improved spray coverage and translaminar uptake.
  • Isaria fumosorosea Apopka Strain 97 (PFR-97 20% WDGOG): 1 to 2 lb/A foliar; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: M.
  • paraffinic oil (Organic JMS Stylet-OilOG): 3 to 6 qt/100 gal water; PHI 0d, REI 4h, Bee: L. Beets only.

Slugs

Damage appears as shredded foliage. Look for silvery slime trails on leaves or turn over soil clods or debris to find slugs during daylight hours. Grow plants away from moist, shaded habitats, use clean cultivation, control weeds, hand-pick slugs, or scatter baits on the ground near infested plants. See the Cabbage section for more information on slugs.

IRAC Group UN:

  • iron phosphate (Sluggo: Slug and Snail BaitOG): 20 to 44 lb/A; PHI 0d, REI 0h, Bee: L. Apply around perimeter, scatter around base of plants, or band down rows. Apply to moist soil in the evening.
  • metaldehyde (Deadline Bullets): 25 lb/A maximum in single application, up to 4x per season; PHI 1d, REI 12h, Bee: L. Apply to moist soil in the evening. Do not apply directly to or contaminate edible portions of plants. Swiss chard only.
Insect Control