stink bugs on my squash!

[dwbonfire87]

i have been noticing stink bugs (not sure the technical name for them) all over my yellow squash plants, leaves stem and the squash themselves. they are not quite ready to pick yet, but im worried the bugs are going to damage and kill my plants. what do you all use on your veggies and fruits to keep bugs away? i want to use something without pesticides, i'd rather not be eating that stuf... any help is appreciated! thanks!

 

[Greenthumb18]

I think I would use Diatomaceous Earth (DE) to get rid of those stink bugs. Or you could maybe feed them to your chickens if you have any.

Hope this helps!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Yup! Just posted this the other day on the Sufficient self sister site (that's a mouthful... )
Soapy water, a waterhose and hand squashing the eggs.

You're really facing 3 things here, the adult bugs, the nymphs and the eggs. The eggs are easy to find & squish, just check the leaves & stems and use a fingernail to scrape them off & squish em. On healthy plants, I actually pull off that small piece of leaf. Easier for me because I have no fingernails

Fill up a clean gallon sprayer with water (I've even used regular hand pump sprayers, like whats on a windex bottle?) Add several drops of soap (any old kind) and spray the plants, underneath & on top. The soapy water kills the nymphs deaddeaddead, even just a tiny bit.

The adult bugs are wiley though. They'll hide under the leaves & down in the mulch and so avoid the soapy water. They need a lot more soap coverage to kill them though, so you have to spray them directly.

If you flood the ground around the plants with the water hose, they will climb up on the leaves and you can tag them with the soapy water a lot easier, or even hand pick & squish or drop them into a bowl of soapy water.

Do the plants one at a time, direct the water hose near the base or along the ground-hugging stem and keep your eyes open. This does work on both bush & sprawling squash plants.

Soapy water works on wasps too. A supersoaker soapy water is all we use to control the vicious red wasps around our place now.

 

[IB4Fun]

I have heard about dish soap as a bug spray many times and I have used it myself. I usually use dawn as I have seen it's power over pet fleas. It does a great job at keeping most at bay and it is safe to use on plants and animals.

 

[Southern Gardener]

I have heard about dish soap as a bug spray many times and I have used it myself. I usually use dawn as I have seen it's power over pet fleas. It does a great job at keeping most at bay and it is safe to use on plants and animals.

This is great to know! Last year I had a real problem with stink bugs on my tomatoes and purple hull peas. I read an article where you can mix vegetable or olive oil with water and spray on the plants. I don't recommend that - the tomatoes were a sticky mess and hard to wash off.

 

[catjac1975]

They are squash bugs. When they over populate they will destroy your squash , pumpkins, etc. Rotonone will work on them and so will pyrethrum. Both are safe organic products. If you are patient, hand pick them and put them in soapy water. Check under the leaves for the eggs. The above sprays work best on young bugs. I no longer mulch my squash, ect. with leaves as they make it worse.

 

[vfem]

I have to squish squash those buggers... they wreck my peaches and tomatoes every year.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i have been trying to figure out if the squash bug i have been seeing for years is really this 'stink' bug that has been traveling and getting out of control! i just know if you squish them and they stink horribly that is what you have!
stink bug pics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug
squash bugs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_bug
i can see how both could get confused! but now i think i may have seen both over the years of gardening here in NH!