Mint leaf beetle
Mint leaf beetles may feast on your garden mint - learn how you can get rid of them.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to act | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
The mint leaf beetle, Chrysolina herbacea is a native, iridescent green beetle that feeds on the leaves of the mint family in the south of the UK. Both the adults and their fat, black larvae feast on the foliage.
Find out how to identify and deal with mint beetle in this clip from Gardeners' World:
Symptoms
Holes in leaves, made by iridescent green beetles and their and fat, black grubs.
Find it on
mint, pennyroyal
Organic
Mint is a prolific plant, so there's no need to control the beetles. If you're worried, you could try growing pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium as a sacrificial crop, or simply remove beetles and larvae by hand and squish them.
Order our September issue to receive your 2-for-1 Gardens card & guide, valid at hundreds of gardens. Plus, you'll receive 6 FREE seed packs.
