Cucumber beetles overwinter as adults and are active by the time the earliest melons are planted in spring.
Adults lay eggs at the base of plants.
As soon as they hatch, larvae begin to feed on plant roots. They complete their development in the soil. There are about three generations a year. They fly readily and migrate into cultivated areas from alfalfa and other crops and from uncultivated lands. Western striped cucumber beetle larvae feed exclusively on cucurbit roots, whereas western spotted cucumber beetle larvae feed primarily on grasses, corn, and legumes, and do not damage cucurbits.