Hi Melissa,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the UNH Extension Infoline. I appreciate your patience here as we are receiving a high volume of inquiries, this is our busiest time of the year!

Regarding your potato plants, it is not recommended to dig these up if they are in their thin skin/new potato growth stage. Although they have been defoliated by the potato beetles, digging them up now will not be beneficial! If they are not past their flowering stage/if this variety flowers, that can impact the overall growth - specifically towards your total yield and tuber size. However, digging them up now will also negatively impact their long term growth and skin hardiness.

I will include a few resources for you below to read more for potato beetle management options:

https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/colorado-potato-beetle#cultural-controls-3562161
https://extension.sdstate.edu/colorado-potato-beetles-causing-defoliation-potatoes
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-potatoes
https://cropwatch.unl.edu/potato/plant_growth
https://extension.unh.edu/resource/colorado-potato-beetle-fact-sheet

Please reach out if you have any further questions!

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