"It's junior rodeo on"

[Kassaundra]

The enemy fired the first shot, the war is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Found my first squash bug of the year!!!!!!!!!

 

[Smart Red]

Let's hope the colder than normal winter deceased their numbers to a controllable size. I had never seen a squash bug until last year. They were insidious! Don't know where they come from as I'd only grown acorn squash for the past several years with no buggy problems.

Now, @Kasaundra, what is your first line of attack? Knowing nothing of gardening in zone 7B, is this early, late, or about usual for them to arrive?

 

[Kassaundra]

First line is I planted the squash in an area the chickens have access to, hoping they will at least help. hand picking and squishing. I just learned about catching the adults grinding them in a blender then mixing w/ soap and spraying, I'm going to try that this year too.

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh and on time, maybe a tiny bit early.

 

[Smart Red]

One year I saw the hatchlings of Colorado Potato beetles and let the chickens access to that bed. In one day they were history. Never came back that year.

Hopefully your girls will clean up the leaves before the fruits become more attractive to them than the bugs.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Have you tried diatomatious earth? Works better than some other ways for me, but it only helps. I haven't yet found a organic way of completely getting rid of them, if anybody does they should be awarded a nobel prize.

I'm hoping that the cold weather has killed some of the bugs. I spotted an awful lot of Mexican bean beetle larvae on a ground cherry growing next to the road last year.

 

[Kassaundra]

One year I saw the hatchlings of Colorado Potato beetles and let the chickens access to that bed. In one day they were history. Never came back that year.

Hopefully your girls will clean up the leaves before the fruits become more attractive to them than the bugs.

I have several chickens that have had access to the squash at least part time, they have never once even sampled a leaf or fruit.

 

[lesa]

My chickens will not touch squash bugs- hope yours aren't as picky...