Rows of copper colored eggs

[Ridgerunner]

They are here and it looks like it will be a bad year. Squash bugs. I found several groups of copper-colored eggs on my winter squash, zucchini, and yellow squash this evening. I also saw a few nymphs and two adult squash bugs. I know chemicals are practically useless on the adults but the nymphs are somewhat succeptable.

The controls I know of are to remove the egg masses and crush them, catch and destroy what nymphs and adults I can, and put boards down next to the squash plants and check under them early in the morning for adults and nymphs, having a bucket of soapy water handy. I don't have and am not set up for guineas.

Has anyone had any luck with other controls? Any advice appreciated.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i just stood there and cried.

guineas were also recommended to me - but i didnt get any this year.

when i asked at the local garden place they said to use the pesticide "Eight" (not sevin" and that worked for a few of my plants.

the hard thing, as i was told by an old timer, is that just one bite gives the plant the virus that kills them.

ugh!

sorry

 

[Ridgerunner]

The squash bug does not necessarily kill them, at least not outright. What happens is that they multiply tremendously and they suck the juice from the plant. It will wilt it and decrease it's vigor and may eventually kill it if their numbers become high enough. They did eventually kill mine last year, but that was well up into the summer. It is possible they transmit some disease, but the sucking is the problem I'm aware of.

I froze 36 cup of shredded zucchini this morning so they are doing great. Another 24 cups and I'll have enough frozen shredded zucchini to keep me in zucchini bread for most of the year. Then I'll start freezing sliced zucchini with the yellow squash so I'll have squash for the winter.

It is not a disaster but I do need to work to keep the numbers down. Pesticides don't work well on the bugs but they do on the nymphs. For the bugs, it is hand-picking and feed them to the chickens.