Squash Bugs and Squash Vine Borers - What I Learned This Year

JerryHaskins · August 10, 2020

I USED to grow yellow summer squash by the tub full. But for the last few years, I have had abysmal luck.

Squash vine borers killed some plants, lack of honey bees resulted in almost no pollination even though I had lots of blossoms.

I tried manual pollination, but that didn't do much better and it was hard to do.

This year I kind of figured out a solution to the squash vine borers problem: I dusted the stems with BT using a hand crank duster like this:

https://www.google.com/shopping/prod...QqLABQQ8wII5wE

The vine borers lay eggs in the ground near the plant, and the larvae hatch out and bore into the stem. I figured the BT would kill the larvae when they eat into the stem. It seems to have worked.

I have seen no (not one) honey bees this year. I have had lots of bumble bees buzzing in my squash blossoms, but apparently bumble bees do not make good pollinators. I've only gotten a few squash to eat.

August 10, 2020	#37
JerryHaskins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Mississippi Posts: 166	I USED to grow yellow summer squash by the tub full. But for the last few years, I have had abysmal luck. Squash vine borers killed some plants, lack of honey bees resulted in almost no pollination even though I had lots of blossoms. I tried manual pollination, but that didn't do much better and it was hard to do. This year I kind of figured out a solution to the squash vine borers problem: I dusted the stems with BT using a hand crank duster like this: https://www.google.com/shopping/prod...QqLABQQ8wII5wE The vine borers lay eggs in the ground near the plant, and the larvae hatch out and bore into the stem. I figured the BT would kill the larvae when they eat into the stem. It seems to have worked. I have seen no (not one) honey bees this year. I have had lots of bumble bees buzzing in my squash blossoms, but apparently bumble bees do not make good pollinators. I've only gotten a few squash to eat.