What works for Squash bugs?

[roper2008]

Thanks brownrex. I may try that if I grow one in the ground. I'm lucky, I have
stink bugs too.

[mekrebs]

Originally Posted by kevinrs

They seem to get worse every year, and I don't have the time to try picking them off the plants every day, they eventually get overwhelming.
They start on the summer squash, then move to the winter, then any cucurbits remaining. If all that is gone I may see them even on tomato plants.

Try growing this instead because:

1. The squash bugs don't bother it.
2. Picked young, it's better than summer squash
3. Let it mature and its long lasting winter squash
4. It prolific as hell and will start rooting wherever the vine has ground contact

Zuchetta Tromba d'Albenga

http://www.growitalian.com/products/...27Albenga.html

[brownrexx]

I have stinkbugs too but they don't seem to bother my squash, only the squash bugs go after them and usually only in late summer.

[imp]

I am most fond of *gasp* regular old zucchini and best of all, the warty yellow crooknecks picked little and so yummy. Baker Creel has one that is yellow and warty, weird name and cannot think of it right now, but excellent, too.

[joseph]

My strategy for dealing with squash bugs is to grow a number of varieties of squash, and let them promiscuously pollinate, and save seeds from any that survive the squash bugs, then replant the seeds and only save seeds from plants that are resistant to squash bugs. Repeat repeatedly.

[AlittleSalt]

Every time I see, "What works for Squash bugs?" I think, "12 gauge shotgun!"

[imp]

[RobinB]

We released Preying Mantis in the yard last year and I didn't see stink bugs or squash bugs. I plan to do it again. I have seeds for multiple types and I like Joseph's approach. I did order some Partenon squash from Johnny's and it is Parthenocarpic, so theoretically, I could cover it with lightweight row cover from day one... or grow it in the greenhouse only. I may try multiple approaches and see what works. I realize that I may get lucky and have too much which is a problem I haven't had in about 8-9 years!

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by imp

I am most fond of *gasp* regular old zucchini and best of all, the warty yellow crooknecks picked little and so yummy. Baker Creel has one that is yellow and warty, weird name and cannot think of it right now, but excellent, too.

Rugosa Friulana (if I remember correctly from last summer).

[Tormato]

I guess I'm lucky, and have never seen a squash bug.

Stink bugs, yes, but they do no harm.

Squash vine borers, yes, and they can do harm. Aluminum foil tented around the stem works for me.

[BigVanVader]

Originally Posted by RobinB

We released Preying Mantis in the yard last year and I didn't see stink bugs or squash bugs. I plan to do it again. I have seeds for multiple types and I like Joseph's approach. I did order some Partenon squash from Johnny's and it is Parthenocarpic, so theoretically, I could cover it with lightweight row cover from day one... or grow it in the greenhouse only. I may try multiple approaches and see what works. I realize that I may get lucky and have too much which is a problem I haven't had in about 8-9 years!

I tried that last year. I had really poor germination. Around 20% probably.

[kevinrs]

Originally Posted by mekrebs

Try growing this instead because:

1. The squash bugs don't bother it.
2. Picked young, it's better than summer squash
3. Let it mature and its long lasting winter squash
4. It prolific as hell and will start rooting wherever the vine has ground contact

Zuchetta Tromba d'Albenga

http://www.growitalian.com/products/...27Albenga.html

I am interested in trying that one, wish I'd asked this earlier, since I already ordered all the seeds I was planning on, and don't really want to pay shipping on one packet of seeds. I looked now at Baker Creek where I ordered from, and they do have it.

[mekrebs]

PM me with an address if you want seeds

[Zeedman]

Originally Posted by mekrebs

Try growing this instead because:

1. The squash bugs don't bother it.
2. Picked young, it's better than summer squash
3. Let it mature and its long lasting winter squash
4. It prolific as hell and will start rooting wherever the vine has ground contact

Zuchetta Tromba d'Albenga

http://www.growitalian.com/products/...27Albenga.html

Guess you've been lucky... because squash bugs have infested mine some years. The plants are unlikely to suffer from the attack as much as C. maxima squashes, though. They are really only vulnerable to squash bugs (or SVB) when young. BTW, the same squash is also sold by many other vendors as Tromboncino, or Zuccetta Rampicante.

For those who have never seen squash bugs, the adults are brown or gray, and closely resemble an assassin bug in size & shape. The nymphs are grayish... and usually in huge numbers.

Cleaning up all garden waste at the end of the season will help keep squash bug numbers down - you need to eliminate hiding places for them to over winter. But if you have a lot of other gardens near you, or live near a pumpkin patch, you are pretty much stuck with them - because they locate squash plants by scent, and will just fly in from surrounding areas. It has been my experience that fertilizing young squash plants seems to increase the likelihood & severity of squash bug attacks, perhaps because it increases the chemical scents which attract them... so fertilizer is perhaps best applied later, after the infestation period has passed.

Row covers can be effective, if timed right. You want to cover the plants during the squash bug egg laying cycle... in my area, when I cover the young plants during the SVB cycle, it usually prevents squash bugs too. The cover should be large enough & loose enough to allow the young vines to roam. For me, if I remove the cover when flowering begins, the plants are usually safe from both insects. Thus far, I have never lost a squash crop if it was initially protected with a row cover... my losses were usually severe, or total, without one.

If you don't use a row cover, make an effort to find & kill the first adults, and their eggs. The first adults will often appear near the base of the stem, and will hide in soil crevices if disturbed. They will also hide under dead leaves (some of which are leaves they have killed) so remove those leaves as you find them.

If you don't like poisons or squishing, squash bugs are very vulnerable to soap spray in all stages. In a one-quart spray bottle, I use: 1 cup rubbing alcohol; 1 tsp liquid soap; 1 tbs cooking oil; 1 tbs syrup (maple or corn syrup); and fill the remainder with water. Add the ingredients in the order listed; the alcohol prevents the soap from foaming, and the soap emulsifies the cooking oil. Add water to 1/2 full initially, shake vigorously until the oil & syrup have completely dissolved, then add water to fill & shake gently. The soap can be any mild soap, I recommend Safers, baby shampoo, or Dawn.

Hunt for the bugs with bottle in hand; if the bugs are completely covered with the spray, they will die within minutes. If you can find their egg masses, the spray will kill them also. To minimize the chances of leaf burn, you can rinse the sprayed areas with water after 30 minutes, since the bugs will be dead by then. This spray works on almost any insect pest; I also use it on aphids, caterpillars, Colorado potato bug larvae, and Japanese beetles. It will even knock wasps out in mid-air... so I use it (at night) to eliminate paper wasps that have built their nests in inconvenient locations.

[imp]

Wow, will have to try that, Zeedman, sounds like if it works, I won't have to worry about timing for Sevin!