Preventive Control

Natural enemies

Parasitoids

1. Edovum puttleri is an egg parasitic wasp that is commercially available in USA and Europe (Knupper, 2003).
2. Tachinid fly

Predators

1. Assassin bug
2. Ground beetle
3. Lacewing
4. Ladybird beetle
5. Spider n
6. Soldier bug
7. Chicken
8. Birds

Fungus

Beauveria bassiana is naturally occurring fungus found in the soils worldwide. It causes the 'white muscadine disease' in insects. When the spores come in contact with the skin of the host insect, they grow and consume the nutrients of the insect, eventually killing it. The white molds covering the insect's body are the new infected spores that are released to the environment. It is found to be attacking Colorado potato beetle (Mahr, 1997).

Monitoring

Visual sampling is efficient for estimating the population density of CPB. The adults and larvae are large and easily seen. Shake the plants to know the pest's density including those feeding and hiding under the leaves. They drop dead-like to the ground (Knupper, 2003).

For eggplant, control measure is necessary when beetles are found on young plant as they can multiply easily and could defoliate the whole plant.

Cultural and management practices

1. Practice crop rotation. Plant garlic and beans as rotation crops. Coriander, marigold, and tansy are good trap crops.
2. Remove solanaceous weeds such as; horsenettle, jimsonweed, thistles, as they provide widespread sources of food (Knupper, 2003).
3. Remove or plow-under crops residues after harvest, to get rid of feeding and breeding sites. Plowing also exposes the pupa and the hibernating adults under the soil to predators and to harsh environment.