What's eating my 'armenian' cucumber?

Armenian cucumber (technically a melon, Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) shares pest pressure with true cucumbers. Cucumber beetles, aphids, and spider mites are the chief threats. Its heat tolerance reduces some disease pressure, but bacterial wilt transmitted by beetles remains dangerous. Deer will eat vines if plants are accessible on trellises.

Feeding damage on foliage and flowers; primary danger is transmission of bacterial wilt, causing rapid, irreversible vine collapse mid-season. Row covers until pollination is needed. Kaolin clay barrier spray. Remove any wilted plants at once. Pyrethrin sprays for heavy infestations, applied in evening to protect pollinators.

Dense colonies on young growth; honeydew and sooty mold; vectors for cucumber mosaic virus causing mottled, distorted fruits and leaves. Insecticidal soap or neem oil weekly. Encourage parasitic wasps with flowering herbs nearby. Reflective silver mulch repels winged aphids from landing.

Stippled, bronzed leaves and fine webbing; particularly severe in hot, dry summers — Armenian cucumber's preferred climate — so monitor closely. Increase humidity around plants; avoid drought stress. Spray undersides of leaves with neem oil or miticide. Predatory mites work well as biological control in glasshouses.