Oh No!!!! Bad Bug/worm

Lorri D · May 30, 2014

I planted my garden out about a week ago, because of weather. I just went out a few minutes ago to see one of my melons wilted. I pulled it out of the ground and cut it open. There were white worms inside. They look like little round worms that your cat or dog get. What can I do? Is there a way to save the rest of my plants if I have more of them? thank you so much! Lorri D

Worth1 · May 30, 2014

Looks like vine borers.
wrap stems in foil to keep tbem from boring into the vine.

These nasty things come from a wasp like critter.

Just Google vine borer or squash vine borer to read all about them.

Worth

henry · May 30, 2014

Squash vine borer.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/...h-vine-borers/

epsilon · May 30, 2014

the focus off a little but,

do they look like this?

Worth1 · May 30, 2014

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_vine_borer

KarenO · May 30, 2014

They look more like maggots to me. Are they seed corn maggots?
KarenO

Lorri D · May 30, 2014

Uggghhh, I thought that was just a southern state problem...I just got back in from wrapping the rest up. We've had a ton of rain and hail, so hopefully the bugs weren't able to get to too many more plants. Thank you

Lorri D · May 30, 2014

KarenO, I just saw your post...Yes, they could be that too. I've never had to deal with that one before either...Guess I have a lot of reading to do. Thank you everyone! I just moved from Southern Oregon to Northern Oregon and I guess I've got a learning curve ahead of me, Lol. Please keep any info or suggestions coming as I try to figure this out. You guys are great!!!

Lorri D

KarenO · May 30, 2014

Just thought they looked smaller than borers from your photo. I don't have either really where I live so I am no expert whatsoever. google corn maggots in melons see if they match up with yours. nasties regardless. hope you can battle them successfully.
K

feldon30 · May 30, 2014

Cut them out of the stems with a razor blade, then you can either wrap the stems in foil or, if they are close enough to the ground, just bury that part of the stem in more soil.

Lorri D · May 31, 2014

Hello, the Home Depot guy says that I indeed have seed corn maggots. He says that people have been in the store for weeks buying things to get rid of them and the plants in the ground are the most susceptible. The maggots have attacked my melons and watermelons so far. They have gotten to about half of them and hopefully that is it!

All of my plants are grown from seed and are varieties that are not replaceable at any local nursery. So, I've been pulling the wilted plants and de-maggotting them... Don't ask...Lol.

When I replanted them, they wilted right away again. So, I have brought them inside and stuck them into some DE and they are perky, but pale.

They may be stunted beyond getting anything out of them, but I plan on trying to replant them again if they make it and regrow enough roots to support them in the soil. I am wondering if rooting compound might help them? Thank you all for helping to pointing me in the right direction. Lorri D

RootLoops · May 31, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorri D

Uggghhh, I thought that was just a southern state problem...I just got back in from wrapping the rest up. We've had a ton of rain and hail, so hopefully the bugs weren't able to get to too many more plants. Thank you

i have a good friend in oregon, last year we were comparing weather and what not and it turns out the climate where he's at is a lot like ours here lol

KarenO · May 31, 2014

They look pretty good in the DE. If you can outlast the larvae stage those maggots will grow up into whatever nasty fly they will become and it will be safe to replant your cucurbits. I don't know how long the corn root maggot season is but many times these things only are a problem for a few weeks per season.
KO

May 30, 2014	#3
henry Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Midway B.C. Canada Posts: 311	Squash vine borer. http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/...h-vine-borers/ __________________ Henry

May 30, 2014	#10
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Cut them out of the stems with a razor blade, then you can either wrap the stems in foil or, if they are close enough to the ground, just bury that part of the stem in more soil. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 30, 2014	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Looks like vine borers. wrap stems in foil to keep tbem from boring into the vine. These nasty things come from a wasp like critter. Just Google vine borer or squash vine borer to read all about them. Worth

May 30, 2014	#4
epsilon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Desert CA Posts: 400	the focus off a little but, do they look like this?

May 30, 2014	#6
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,932	They look more like maggots to me. Are they seed corn maggots? KarenO

May 30, 2014	#7
Lorri D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NorthWest Posts: 267	Uggghhh, I thought that was just a southern state problem...I just got back in from wrapping the rest up. We've had a ton of rain and hail, so hopefully the bugs weren't able to get to too many more plants. Thank you

May 31, 2014	#13
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,932	They look pretty good in the DE. If you can outlast the larvae stage those maggots will grow up into whatever nasty fly they will become and it will be safe to replant your cucurbits. I don't know how long the corn root maggot season is but many times these things only are a problem for a few weeks per season. KO