Bacteria enter these wounds and thereby the rest of the plant through insect feces. The bacteria multiply within the xylem vessels of the plant until water movement is obstructed. Symptoms normally appear 6 to 7 days after infection. Bacteria can survive for one to two months in the dried up plant but cannot survive the winter in any location other than the cucumber beetle's digestive tract. The striped cucumber beetle is the most common.
Beetles deposit their eggs in the soil around the bases of host plants.
There is no cure for bacterial wilt and therefore control is aimed at prevention of infection by the beetles. Since cucumber beetles overwinter as adults, early control measures are essential. Young plants can be protected by the use of row covers, cones, or other types of mechanical barriers. Edges must be sealed to insure that the beetles do not find a place of entry. Plants will eventually outgrow these barriers or they will need to be removed to allow insect pollination of the flowers.