Squash Vine Borer

[OmahaJB]

Found an article by the University of Minnesota Extension office on the subject of the squash vine borer. If anyone is interested in reading it I suggest googling the article. I would have copied and pasted but have never been able to do so on my old webtv. Has never worked right or some reason.

Still not sure if that's what has damaged the base of my Musquee de Provence squash vine, but it's my best guess so far. Not totally convinced it is because the leaves are not affected yet (from lack of water cased by the vine damage). Also the article explained the borer goes in at the base and bores upwards. Mine fit that description with the exception that the upperside of the vine (starting at the base travelling up a few inches), is gone, exposing the inside of the vine. The underneath side is still there.

So I'm perplexed at the cause at this time. Next time I visit the garden I may cut in to the vine just a little higher than where it's already destroyed to see if a borer is inside or not.

A couple things I took from the article that I found interesting: The adult vine borer moths are attracted to yellow, and if you fill a yellow bucket or bowl with water and place it in the garden they'll likely fly their way to the bowl and drown.

Also, they resemble hornets. They are partially red if I recall correctly. They buzz fairly loudly when they fly.

Once the larvae inside the vine are through eating and are sprouting wings they fly to the soil nearby and burrow into about an inch down until the following year. When they come out they find an unsuspecting vine to lay they larvae on then fly around happily buzzing around the garden.

More experienced gardeners please add your comments if you think I have anything wrong. Just going by memory of the article.

Jeff

[dustdevil]

Jeff, on the web there is info about injecting insecticidal soap into the stem burrowed into by the borer...I don't know if the squash is safe to eat after doing this. Scroll down on this page for some more tips for dealing with borers: http://www.gardensalive.com/article....cd2=1277650139

[OmahaJB]

Thanks dustdevil, will read the article now...

[OmahaJB]

Good info in the comments there. Kind of think I'll be better off pulling the vine. The damage is pretty extensive and probably runs a good 10". I had said a few inches but it's probably more like 10.

First though will try slicing into the stem to see if I can find the pest. If successful I'll cover the damaged area with soil and see if it survives. Hopefully it's just one, and not a bunch of siblings as well!

[huntoften]

The timing is right for the SVB. If you ever want to see one, you have to get in the garden EARLY in the morning...right at first light. They are definitely wasp looking critters. If you do see one, it's probably too late.

Best advice is to pull the plant as soon as it is for sure an SVB, and submerge it in a 5 gallon bucket of water for a few days to make sure all are killed, then re-plant and you'll have squash into the fall.

[OmahaJB]

Thanks for the advice. I had never heard of doing that, but it makes sense that the plant could survive in the bucket of water and transplanted. Will decide what to do next time I visit the garden. Could be a case of the plant already being too far gone, but if not will consider all options scapel in hand and maybe use the bucket of water idea too. Really would like to save it as I only have two plants, Amish Pie which wasn't touched and the Musquee de Provence.

[huntoften]

Sorry...let me explain it more clearly. The plant is a goner once the SVB's hatch out. Submerge the whole plant in the water to kill the SVB's. so they don't reproduce and make more SVB's for future years...the plant dies too. Plant more squash seeds in the same hole and you'll be back in business in no time.

[lj in ny]

I read on another forum that a woman slit the vine, killed the borers and used florists tape to tape up the vine. She said her squash kept on producing until frost and she posted pictures to prove it. I was wondering today...since the mature bug is attracted to yellow, if I pulled off all of the flowers until July would they leave the plant alone?

[puzzley]

I have saved squash vines that have had borers by using a large sewing needle, and piercing the vine every 1 cm or so, then doing it again at 90 degrees. If you can stab the critter to death, the vine recovers from the small holes easily....

[OmahaJB]

Originally Posted by huntoften

Sorry...let me explain it more clearly. The plant is a goner once the SVB's hatch out. Submerge the whole plant in the water to kill the SVB's. so they don't reproduce and make more SVB's for future years...the plant dies too. Plant more squash seeds in the same hole and you'll be back in business in no time.

Hah...I should have realized you meant to start a new plant. Too much soccer on my mind today I guess. Someone here traded me some good squash varieties last year, I'll have to see how early they are. Maybe, just maybe, I'll still have time to start anew. Zone 5 here in T-town. Doubt there'd be enough time to re-start Musquee de Provence. But I'll be checking that plant out first to see if indeed it is SVB damage. Don't know what else would cause it.

Thanks again...and thanks to others who posted advice.

[tjg911]

good idea to stab the plant every 1/2" to kill the larvae, then considered that!

svb moth is out at night, i've found them dead never saw one alive.

Musquee de Provence if it has 90+ dtm it's too late to replant.

for pix of svb and larvae see http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&s...+vine&gs_rfai=

[lj in ny]

I've seen them during the day (twice). I saw one today and tried to kill it. No luck, I freaked out my neighbors though! I've read that other people have said that they were going to try the sewing needle trick but I've never heard the results. I've also heard that you can go out at night with a flashlight and shine the light through the vine and see the borer and then stab it with the needle. Worth a shot too.