Slug-like slimy things eating my potato leaves... I don't wat to hurt my bees!

[CpnObvious]

This is now the second time typing this, the first time vanished on me! 

I have been cleaning little yellow eggs off the bottom my potato leaves and battling these things that are decimating the leaves.  My bees are in my garden and I don't want to hurt them.  How can I get rid of these things?:

As always, thank you very much!

[Rugerbob]

Potato bugs, squish removal method required.

[Ray4852]

Spray BT worm and caterpillar killer or use diatomaceous earth.

[efmesch]

Most likely it's the Colorado Potato Beetle  (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).
I found this article about the biological control of this pest: http://www.agrisk.umn.edu/cache/ARL02956.htm.
It gives a nice collection of information--including that BT (usually used by beekeepers to control wax moths) can be used against them.
If you don't have Bacillus thuringiensis in your stock of beekeeping supplies, it might be time that you bought some.

[rcannon]

Chickens.

[iddee]

Powdered lime will discourage most pests while raising the PH of the soil, but not harming the bees. Just cover all leaves and repeat after the rain adds it to the soil.

[Zweefer]

Finely grind egg shells in a blender or coffee grinder and sprinkle on :-)

[Retroguy]

My brothers and I were always handed a tomato juice can with an inch of gasoline in the bottom then sent to the garden to pick both the larvae and the beetles off of the plants and drop them in the can.  After we got about 1/2 a can full of the potatoe beetles we'd dump them and the gasoline in an oil drain pan in the driveway and light 'em up.  Slow work but I think the Old Man was keeping us busy and out of trouble.

[riverbee]

as has been said, colorado potato beetle, dirty little buggers will decimate the leaves. we tried a few things, scrape them off everyday, and the larvae into watery dish soap. what a pita.  we usually have a very large crop of potatoes. next year capn, what we found works, is to plant the potatoes in a different spot every year, so rotate them.  since we started moving them around, no more beetles. 

[Les]

Ah the potato beetle, my money maker as a youngster.  The neighbor farmer would pay us a penny a piece for each potato beetle we plucked.  Wish I had the back stamina I had then!  I agree with everyone else's suggestion, especially crop rotation.  Of course, that applies for all your veggies.

[CpnObvious]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I've been away, but will be taking care of the situation.

The funny thing about this is that we have several potato plants growing in 3 buckets (3 plants in each bucket).  We also have 6 plants growing in a raised bed garden... They are only going after the ones in the buckets and they're only a few feet from the raised bets plants...  Will be picking up some BT.  Thanks for the help!

[riverbee]

capn,
where did you get the dirt that is in the buckets?

[CpnObvious]

The dirt in the buckets is a combination of bagged potting soil and screened loam.  The same delivery of loam we used in the raised bed gardens.  The potting soil is cheap stuff from Big Lots or WalMart...  I think it came from Big Lots.