Squash Bug WAR!

[jhook1997]

I am losing the war with the squash bugs this year! I had many many winter squashes along with zuc. and reg. sq.. Over 3/4 have been killed despite frequent times of using organic sprays, 7 dust spray and one other. Plus regularly squishing the bugs and their eggs. I didn't even want to use non-organic but I had to try something. But even that is not working. Is their another product I can try or a home mix that someone has success with. We love squash and I was intending to put up enough for all winter. HELP!

 

[rebbetzin]

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I about gave up doing squash here, the vine borers would destroy so many vines it made me crazy!! I used BT to try to prevent them from being able to attack, but it really didn't help. This year I had three squash come up, I have no idea what kind they are! They are volunteers in a bed that I grow Basil and Lemon Verbena. So far.. they are doing pretty good. Only time will tell if they make it or not.

 

[lesa]

Frustrating, I know... Generally, squash bugs and vine borers will not kill butternut squash. Did you plant any of that? I would recommend choosing a different location for those plants, next season- or even skipping a year. I think it was CarolDee that discovered spraying water at the base of the plant, brings up the bugs and makes them easier to kill. Good luck!

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I am having a lot of vine borers also. It is very sad

 

[jhook1997]

Frustrating, I know... Generally, squash bugs and vine borers will not kill butternut squash. Did you plant any of that? I would recommend choosing a different location for those plants, next season- or even skipping a year. I think it was CarolDee that discovered spraying water at the base of the plant, brings up the bugs and makes them easier to kill. Good luck!

It's funny you said that about the Butternut. They are the only ones still living. I had Acorn, Buttercup, Sweet Meat, Spagetti, zucchini and yellow sq. The water trick does work if you have time to do it to every plant....every day. I'm amazed at how quickly they multiply and kill stuff. I'm out there pretty much every day squishing eggs and bugs and stuff is still dying. They are even working on my gourds now!

Hopefully someone else will have other ideas.

 

[desertlady]

strange , I dont think I ever had a vine borer!, are they some kind of moth? right now my problem are grasshoppers, and some kind of mites, or not sure what they are, but eggs looks black tiny dots. and mice or desert rats, grrrr !!

 

[lesa]

jhook- all those other plants that you mention have a hollow stem. That is what attracts the vine borers.

 

[baymule]

For killing garden bugs and pests

Voo-Doo Juice

1 package of chewing tobacco

1 pod of garlic, crushed, not a clove, but the whole pod

1/4 cup of Tabasco

1/4 cup of dishwashing liquid

Boil 1 gallon of water, add pouch of chewing tobacco and crushed garlic. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Let steep until cool. Strain, then add Tabasco and soap. Pour into a 2 gallon sprayer and top with water. Spray on garden after 7 PM, so as not to injure bees. Besure to spray the underside of leaves too.



I soaked the stalks of my squash with Voo-Doo Juice that showed the classic signs of squash borers, the gooshy brown worm poo oozing out of the stalk that says worms are eating the guts out of my squash plants! It killed them. The squash survived and produced lots of squash. I loves me some VOO-DOO JUICE!!!!

 

[Kassaundra]

I spray the plants w/ water at the base and have two helpers assist me in squishing the squash bugs, they LOVE their job

Farrah

and Yeta the Wonder Chicken

I used to hand squish the bugs while sraying w/ water, but once the girls started helping it goes a lot faster, but still takes time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have any great suggestions. Squash bugs are hard. They don't eat the plant but suck the juice, so spraying the plant with something that kills bugs that eat the insecticide does not work. A contact insecticide will, but they are really good at hiding from that spray when you are spraying, and when it dries, it does not contact them. The adults are more resistant than the nymphs to contact sprays.

I've tried skipping a year in growing squash. It did not help. I've tried all the "companion" planting things. Did not help. I've tried putting boards down and attacking them before daylight. Not much success really. They also hide under leaves and other stuff. I've tried squishing eggs daily and killing any adults I find. That helped a little, but as soon as you see the nymphs, that approach is over for me. It's then just a matter of time. I think they live and reproduce on other plants in the enviromnment (weeds), not just the stuff I plant so they will always be here. I can usually get about two to three weeks worth of production of zucchini or yellow squash before they kill mine.

Really pessimistic I know. Sorry!