Insects Fields previously in sod or having heavy infestations of weeds in the prior year should be treated with a soil-applied insecticide at planting to control soil insect pests including cutworms. Squash bugs must be controlled early in the growing season and can best be located by examining the underside of leaves for eggs which are laid in groups. Aphids and mites can cause damage to leaves and leave deposits on fruit, reducing marketable yield. Low numbers can be tolerated throughout most of the season and scouting results will indicate whether populations are increasing and should be controlled. Good fruit set and development for cucumbers are dependent upon insects, primarily honeybees, to pollinate the female flowers.
Flowers are receptive to pollination for a matter of hours on the day they open.
Flowers should be examined to determine activity of honeybees. If fewer than one bee per ten flowers is noted during the morning hours, the producer should bring bee hives into the field to ensure adequate pollination. Diseases Cucumber is susceptible to several diseases that attack the roots, foliage, and fruit. The most common diseases in Oklahoma have been anthracnose, angular leaf spot, downy mildew, bacterial wilt, powdery mildew, and virus diseases. Disease control is essential in the production of high quality slicing cucumbers.