Squash vine borer help needed

[sumi]

I'm not dealing with them, I'm asking for a friend who's not a member here (yet )Does anyone have any tips for getting this pest under control/eliminated. Please?

 

[Carol Dee]

Some have had luck removing the larva from the stem. Make an incision , remove the larvae and then bury that part of the stem again. When you see the eggs on the under side of the leaves, scrape them off and smash. Still we have NEVER won the battle only slowed it little. (Long enough to get a few more zucchini. Good Luck.

 

[Ken Adams]

This will be sacrilegious to some but I've had serious issues with both vine and stalk borers so bad that I lost most of my tomatoes to them in past years. What I do to combat it is a little unorthodox. I spray the vines of squash and the bottom 6 inches of tomato stalks with neem oil and then very lightly dust the wet parts with sevin which causes it to cling. I know it's not organic...but I never lose plants now. My hope is that the neem acts as a sealant and prevents much systemic entry of the sevin

 

[journey11]

I never know they're there until the whole thing is wilted and half dead.

Prevention. Similar to Ken, I sprinkle Sevin dust only on/around the base of the stem. (Excellent tip on the Neem to stick it, thanks @Ken Adams !) I keep it on there constantly, especially during the early part of the season...it rains, sprinkle again. This rather targeted approach would not be a problem for the bees since it's no where near the flowers and mostly not when they're blooming anyway. Squash vine borers are so destructive and the damage so traumatic that I don't mess around.

 

[Ken Adams]

I also practice succession planting as a back up. This week I planted new zucchini and patty pan squash. As my spring plantings play out or get ravaged new ones are taking their place at the opposite side of the garden

 

[Ridgerunner]

How many life cycles does it go through a year where you are? Here in the States our northern friends will only see one life cycle per year, so if they can delay planting and still get a crop, they just need to plant later. I imagine you are more like us in the southern states where it repeats its life cycle so the timed planting thing does not work.

 

[baymule]

@Ridgerunner you are right. in the south, if there is a squash plant, there is a squash borer or bug to kill it.

 

[catjac1975]

Plant consecutively so that when one plant dies you have more coming along. I think it's about timing. By that I mean they will not go for all plants just the ones available when the eggs are being laid. Another solution is to plant vining squash and bury the stem at different intervals. This will give them a root system further down the vine keep part of it alive. Plant on fences to keep the plant off of the ground. Several types are not the favorite of the borers so planting different crops also helps.

 

[sumi]

Thank you all so much! I've send her a link to this thread, so she can read your replies.