There’s no way around this: cucumber beetles are one of the most destructive and hardest to control pests. Don’t be deceived by their name: as Kelly’s question shows, though they do love preying on cucumber plants and their relatives like squash, they eat a huge variety of vegetables and ornamental plants. And their damage on flowers is particularly unsightly: rough holes, staining, premature fading and death. Short of using chemical controls, there’s unfortunately no silver bullet. But there are a couple of things you can do to perhaps minimize their presence: – Control weeds. They like to hang out in weedy areas when they aren’t feeding, so if you (or a neighbor) have weedy areas that could be managed, that may help. – Stop growing cucumbers or members of the cucumber family, like squash. This will attract them, and they may get curious and explore other plants in your yard. – Or, do the opposite: grow cucumbers or squash as a “trap crop” that you do treat with insecticide. This would not be for human consumption, only to lure the cucumber beetles to one area and then use chemicals to manage them. – Mulch. Finally, an easy one! Mulch helps a lot because the cucumber beetles lay their eggs in soil cracks near potential host plants. By covering up the soil, you reduce the egg-laying sites (but be aware, they can also lay eggs at the base of the plant as well).  – Finally, consider biological controls like beneficial nemarodes, lacewings, assassin bugs, or even ladybugs. Here are some good biological solutions for cucumber beetles.