What's eating my yukon gold potato?

Colorado potato beetle is the top threat to Yukon Gold, defoliating plants rapidly. Aphids spread potato virus Y and leaf roll virus, cutting yields badly. Wireworms tunnel tubers, and slugs feed on underground flesh. In rural gardens, deer browse haulms and voles tunnel to tubers. Rotate brassicas and legumes into the bed each year.

Adults and orange larvae strip foliage to bare stems; severe defoliation reduces tuber size dramatically Hand-pick beetles and egg masses daily; apply Bt var. tenebrionis or spinosad to young larvae; rotate potato location yearly

Curled, yellowed leaves; sticky honeydew; virus transmission causing mottled, distorted foliage and poor yields Remove winged colonisers early; apply insecticidal soap; use reflective mulch; prioritise certified virus-free seed potatoes

Small round tunnels bored through tubers at harvest; tubers unmarketable and susceptible to rot Avoid planting in ground recently converted from grass; use brassica trap crops; beneficial nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) in autumn

Cavities in tubers from slug feeding underground, especially in wet seasons or heavy soils Ferric phosphate pellets around haulms; harvest promptly when skins set; improve drainage; reduce surface debris