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

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by b54red

I have been keeping them off my plants for years with a rather simple technique. I use a small bulb duster and dust the lower stem with a good coating of Sevin up to where the blossoms are. I do not dust blossoms or anything above open blossom area and have had no problem with SVB starting higher up the plant but I don't doubt they can. Every time there is a heavy rain and the Seving is washed off I just walk down the row and dust the stems of course as the season goes along the dusting has to go further up each time. I eventually get sick of squash and just let them go or pull them up but I haven't last any plants to SVBs in years using this technique. The only problem would be a long rainy spell but that hasn't happened so bad that I couldn't keep the Sevin on them but I could see it happening and if it does I might try the BT injections.

Bill

In prior years, the borer and the squash bug were so bad we didn't get a single squash, and that was with crop rotation. This year, we rotated again and grew on woven weed block to try and defeat the squash bug from overwintering. About a month ago my partner sprinkled the squash plants with Sevin. I cringed but kept quiet as I didn't want to feel guilty if either yucky bug came. Well, with tons and tons of rain, and as far as I know only one dusting, the plants are chugging along. Squash overload though I love it. I haven't spoken with any other local growers to see if the bugs were killed off my our cold winter or if it is just a fluke that the one time Sevin application worked. Not a chemical fan but this is great if it worked.

- Lisa

[b54red]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

In prior years, the borer and the squash bug were so bad we didn't get a single squash, and that was with crop rotation. This year, we rotated again and grew on woven weed block to try and defeat the squash bug from overwintering. About a month ago my partner sprinkled the squash plants with Sevin. I cringed but kept quiet as I didn't want to feel guilty if either yucky bug came. Well, with tons and tons of rain, and as far as I know only one dusting, the plants are chugging along. Squash overload though I love it. I haven't spoken with any other local growers to see if the bugs were killed off my our cold winter or if it is just a fluke that the one time Sevin application worked. Not a chemical fan but this is great if it worked.

- Lisa

If too much of it gets washed off by rain then the SVBs will hit the plants quickly. I never have to worry about whether or not they are around down here. From spring til I quit growing squash I see the moths that lay the eggs every morning around the plants and on the plants. Once you learn to spot them it isn't hard to see them but they do move rather like a fast bee but once they light you can readily spot them.

I don't dust the whole plant just the stems up to the blooms. Once the fruit borers hit I will dust some of the young fruits but never the blossoms because squash plants really attract honey bees in my garden. This year I had more honey bees than I have seen in 20 years so I guess the way I use the Sevin isn't hurting them.

Squash overload is what I have had for the past few years since perfecting this technique of stopping the SVBs and I eventually just give up and pull them but by the time I do they are gigantic plants sometimes so big I can't even drag them to the street without cutting them into manageable size. For many years I tried the tinfoil on the stems and other methods and usually lost most of my plants byabout a month after they started making fruit unless I foolishly tried growing some in the fall and then I would usually lose all of them before getting a single fruit.

Another thing that has greatly increased the life span of my squash plants is using the diluted bleach spray every time I spray my tomatoes I spray the undersides of all my squash leaves and the tops. This keeps all those mildews from getting started good. I also spray them with either Daconil or Copper sprays when I spray my tomatoes.

Bill

[tarpalsfan]

Originally Posted by b54red

If too much of it gets washed off by rain then the SVBs will hit the plants quickly. I never have to worry about whether or not they are around down here. From spring til I quit growing squash I see the moths that lay the eggs every morning around the plants and on the plants. Once you learn to spot them it isn't hard to see them but they do move rather like a fast bee but once they light you can readily spot them.

I don't dust the whole plant just the stems up to the blooms. Once the fruit borers hit I will dust some of the young fruits but never the blossoms because squash plants really attract honey bees in my garden. This year I had more honey bees than I have seen in 20 years so I guess the way I use the Sevin isn't hurting them.

Squash overload is what I have had for the past few years since perfecting this technique of stopping the SVBs and I eventually just give up and pull them but by the time I do they are gigantic plants sometimes so big I can't even drag them to the street without cutting them into manageable size. For many years I tried the tinfoil on the stems and other methods and usually lost most of my plants byabout a month after they started making fruit unless I foolishly tried growing some in the fall and then I would usually lose all of them before getting a single fruit.

Another thing that has greatly increased the life span of my squash plants is using the diluted bleach spray every time I spray my tomatoes I spray the undersides of all my squash leaves and the tops. This keeps all those mildews from getting started good. I also spray them with either Daconil or Copper sprays when I spray my tomatoes.

Bill

I read above that you spray diluted bleach on your tomato plants and squash? That doesn't harm your plants?

[JerryHaskins]

OK, I know this is an old thread, but my squash plants are getting about 8 inches tall and I would like to actually get some squash to eat this year (i.e., keep squash vine borers from killing my plants).

By the way, I know that I must be in a minority, but I have no aversion to commercial pesticides. I don't care one bit about "organic" techniques.

Someone above posted a link to https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-g...sh-vine-borers

I am posting the part regarding the use of pesticides for my own future reference and for any others who don't mind using such products:

-------------------

Using pesticides

If pesticides are needed, spray or dust the stems at their base.

Start treatments when vines begin to run (or the last week of June or early July for non-vining varieties) or when the first adult borers are detected.

Repeat in 7-10 days.

Two applications help manage most squash vine borer adults.

For more thorough coverage, continue treatments at 7-10 day intervals until the end of July. Common names of active ingredients effective against squash vine borers are: carbaryl, permethrin, bifenthrin and esfenvalerate.
------------------------------------

Always follow label instructions.

[jtjmartin]

Thanks for the link.

I've used Bill's method of Sevin at the base and it worked very well. I like to use organic when its effective and not cost prohibitive. This year, I'm trying Bt and Spinosad injections into the stem to see how that works.

I've tried searching for eggs - but if my squash plants "fall over" at an odd angle the sun seems to scorch them pretty bad here and they don't always recover well. Not sure if that's something I'm doing over a common occurrence in the hot south.

I have limited garden space due to neighborhood trees and shade so I can't afford to loose too many squash plants!

[Zeedman]

Interesting thread, about a common pest for those of us in the eastern 1/2 of the U.S.. Those of you further West, count your lucky stars that SVB hasn't reached you - yet.



SVB are very bad in my area; without some type of prevention, losses for C. maxima and C. pepo squashes would be nearly 100%. Under normal conditions, my default method is to start squash as transplants, and cover them with floating row cover immediately after transplanting. The cover stays on until flowering begins, which in my area, usually occurs when the SVB egg laying period has passed. This has not only prevented SVB, but usually prevents infestation by the first hatch of squash bugs & cucumber beetles as well.


This year was not a normal year. Near-record rainfall kept me from putting up the covers in time. When the garden finally became passable, there were already large numbers of eggs visible on the stems. The weather also resulted in adult moths being active - and laying eggs - later than usual, well into July. I sprayed Neem on as much of the stems as I could reach, re-applying several times.


A few weeks later, frass showed that some eggs had survived, and some wilting had begun. I considered using the BT injection method, but garden stores nearby were out. So I got the idea to use a battery-powered water pick, in an effort to wash out the frass, and hopefully flush out some of the larvae. The water pick holds very little water, so I had to lengthen the pickup hose, to use a larger water reservoir. It worked!!! Quite a few larvae were washed out; I then sprayed Neem into the now-open holes, to reach any larvae still present. It has apparently worked - the plants which had begun wilting still do on hot days, but have not deteriorated further, and wilting has not appeared on the other plants.


While floating row covers will still be my preferred method of preventing SVB, I like the idea of BT injection, and may try that in the future. The use of high-pressure water jets, though, is another alternative to rescue plants already infected. While I used a water pick, a pressurized sprayer might work as well.

[jtjmartin]

Bt injections did work. I've had a very good summer of squash.

SVBs are so relentless though. Once the stem is treated, they seem to move on to leaf stems.

I'll keep this up for some plants next year, but I'm definitely going to try some: Eight Ball, Poquito, Rampicante, Tatume, Desi and Zucchetta Tromba d'Albenga. All show up as being more resistant to SVB.

[brownrexx]

My Zucchini, yellow squash, patty pan and acorn squash were all infected and I injected them all with Thuricide (bt)

I did 2 injections about 2 weeks apart and I got good production on all vines except for the patty pan which did not survive.

[GoDawgs]

My fall yellow straightnecks and cukes are doing well and producing after one squash acquired an SVB. The squash were transplanted out 7/24 and that borer hole was first noticed and injected with bT on 8/15. I had hoped it was too late in the season for borers but I guess that here in Georgia there is no end to them until frost.

After injecting the squash vine (it worked) I remembered Bill's Sevin treatment on the stem and started that on both squash plants and the two cukes as well. No more problem so far.

[Hensaplenty]

GoDawgs; Do you also battle pickle worm in Augusta?

[GoDawgs]

The pickleworm showed up for the first time two springs ago. We'd never had them until then. Last spring all they messed with was the cukes. This year they also developed a taste for yellow squash too. Fortunately they didn't stay long this year.

I read that the moth that lays the eggs is nocturnal, coming out and about around dusk so one should cover plants with row cover or such before dark and then uncover in the morning for pollination. I tried that but it was a pain in the butt so I quit doing it. I got enough product to satisfy the requirements regardless.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

The pickleworm showed up for the first time two springs ago. We'd never had them until then. Last spring all they messed with was the cukes. This year they also developed a taste for yellow squash too. Fortunately they didn't stay long this year.

I read that the moth that lays the eggs is nocturnal, coming out and about around dusk so one should cover plants with row cover or such before dark and then uncover in the morning for pollination. I tried that but it was a pain in the butt so I quit doing it. I got enough product to satisfy the requirements regardless.

I found that once the melon or pickle worms showed up a thorough spraying of the plants with a permethrin spray late in the evening would really do a number on them without having the waiting time of using Sevin or the damage to the bee populations. Of course it doesn't do anything at all for the ones that have already bored into the fruit but after a day or two I don't usually see them again until the next wave hits a few weeks later.

Bill

[clkeiper]

I invested in about 300.00 worth of nematodes a couple years ago for the garden. I didn't see much in the way of an impact last year but this year I didn't see, to see many squashbug or SVB. I have had the same patch of squash for the first time ever in my garden. I did have a couple die off and we did spray a couple times but nothing regularly this Summer. i have to take that back... Kevin just said he sprayed Mustang Max 5 times this Summer which is a 1 day wait to reenter . it is a major insecticide group needing a pesticide license as it takes very little to be effective but with a one day wait to re enter the bugs can be back in in a moment.

[eldemila]

Was Googling about squash bugs and came upon my old post of 2016. Thought I would add to this since it tis the season!

Last year I found something that worked pretty darn well when it came to the squash vine borer, and I'm repeating the process again this year.

I took head pins, the straight pins with a colored ball on the top (bought them at Walmart). I stick these straight in to the stems of the squash, and when they get bigger, I stick them down in where elbows are. If the vine borer lays the egg at the base, or towards the base, the worm grows in to the pin...and dies! Last year I had 3 vine borers that layed eggs towards farther up from the stem, but nothing at the base, or at least that lived.

This year, I saw a squash bug and some eggs, next day another squash bug and more eggs. I had a tub of Tanglefoot and decided to brush some on the wood of the squash I had planted in raised beds in hopes that if they crawled across the wood where the Tanglefoot was they'd stick to it and die, or be held captive til I found them and smashed them. Where I planted squash in the ground, a few I have next to trellises, so I brushed it on the wood part of the trellis.

The next day I go out and checked every solitary leaf...no eggs and I see no bugs. It's now 1 week since I brushed this thick gunk in the garden, and so far, no squash bugs, no eggs. Did see a vine borer today but I'm not so worried about them as I am the squash bugs.

The squash that's not in the raised beds I took some old bamboo poles that are broken up and took those and brushed the Tanglefoot on them and stuck them near the plant.

I won't know exactly how effective this is until the end of the season, but I'm praying that maybe the smell of this product is throwing the squash bugs off and making them go elsewhere. Where I live we have 2 cycles of this dreaded bug. Between the squash bug, the vine borer and the pickle worms it's been hard to harvest squash. I'm happy to say I ate my first cocozelle zucchini today...hoping more will follow.

Will try to remember to update this after the season ends. I'm hoping to have a good report and something that I'll repeat doing next year and years after! Now I just have to worry about the darn pickle worm...hoping this stuff will deter them too!

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Zeedman

Interesting thread, about a common pest for those of us in the eastern 1/2 of the U.S.. Those of you further West, count your lucky stars that SVB hasn't reached you - yet.



SVB are very bad in my area; without some type of prevention, losses for C. maxima and C. pepo squashes would be nearly 100%. Under normal conditions, my default method is to start squash as transplants, and cover them with floating row cover immediately after transplanting. The cover stays on until flowering begins, which in my area, usually occurs when the SVB egg laying period has passed. This has not only prevented SVB, but usually prevents infestation by the first hatch of squash bugs & cucumber beetles as well.


This year was not a normal year. Near-record rainfall kept me from putting up the covers in time. When the garden finally became passable, there were already large numbers of eggs visible on the stems. The weather also resulted in adult moths being active - and laying eggs - later than usual, well into July. I sprayed Neem on as much of the stems as I could reach, re-applying several times.


A few weeks later, frass showed that some eggs had survived, and some wilting had begun. I considered using the BT injection method, but garden stores nearby were out. So I got the idea to use a battery-powered water pick, in an effort to wash out the frass, and hopefully flush out some of the larvae. The water pick holds very little water, so I had to lengthen the pickup hose, to use a larger water reservoir. It worked!!! Quite a few larvae were washed out; I then sprayed Neem into the now-open holes, to reach any larvae still present. It has apparently worked - the plants which had begun wilting still do on hot days, but have not deteriorated further, and wilting has not appeared on the other plants.


While floating row covers will still be my preferred method of preventing SVB, I like the idea of BT injection, and may try that in the future. The use of high-pressure water jets, though, is another alternative to rescue plants already infected. While I used a water pick, a pressurized sprayer might work as well.

I’m going to try that floating row cover. I have just planted my winter squash seeds and a succession of summer squash. Squash bugs are hitting my first summer squash pretty hard. I’ve been vacuuming up the bugs and picking of any leaves with eggs.
I take the shop-vac out everyday looking for stink bugs,leaf footed bugs and squash bugs.