Darned Squash Bugs!!!!!

[Chris C]

This is my first year with a garden..............and I've gone organic. So far, things are going well......................except for the squirrel that waited for the day my corn was ripe and destroyed all two rows!!!!! But I'm having a devil of a time with the squash bugs. I'm using NEEM, but it hasn't accomplished a thing. Still have bugs after two weeks of treatment. Any suggestions which might help me? I've got to find some organic deterrent.

[Diane]

I tried growing corn once and had the same problem you had. I even saw the little brat eating an ear.
Just today I saw two black and yellow striped squash bugs.
Since I haven't grown squash or cukes in years I wonder where they came from?
I hope someone has an answer.

[applestar]

The striped ones? I call them cucumber beetles -- they have been attacking my melons I catch every one I see and squash them (Squash Bugs ) But they're quick! The moment they see you, they go around to the other side of the leaf or flower, and drop off into the undergrowth or fly away! In my zucchini and yellow crookneck, I can hardly catch them because the vines have grown so much I can't reach the middle. In fact, I have the feeling one of the vines got the wilt (courtesy of the cuke beetles) -- or the squash vine borer -- I can see from the window that all the leaves are limp. Don't want to go out there yet, it's still dark and the damp air from the muggy rain yesterday is full of mosquitoes.

Japanese beetles, on the other hand, are slower moving and much easier to catch but the sensation of their scrabbling feet in my hand gives me the creeps and they're too big to squash in my hand...

[rainbowgardener]

Food gardening is hard.... not because it's hard to get the plants to grow, that part is easy, but because there are so many hungry critters out there, from bugs on up to deer. I gave up on growing corn, even back when I used to have the space for it, because so many critters loved it-- wood rats, squirrels, possums, groundhogs, raccoon, deer, birds, all of which were on our property...

Re the cucumber beetles:

A lot of the things to control cucumber beetles are more preventative than when you have a big infestation but some you could still do. Their biggest predators are parasitic wasps and nematodes and bats (one of the for the future things would be put up a bat house! ).

"The Insect Parasitic Nematode Web site, https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/nematodes/, developed and maintained by the department of entomology at The Ohio State University, contains information on the biology and ecology of nematodes and how to use them for pest control in different crops (Grewal, 2007). It features an extensive list of commercial suppliers of parasitic nematodes." https://www.attra.org/attra-pub/cucumberbeetle.html#traps

In the spring, floating row covers can keep bugs off your plants, but they
are normally removed once the plants are flowering.

One thing you can do given that you've got them all over is just vacuum them off your plants. (They make hand held bug catcher vacuums)

Otherwise Neem oil or organic insecticides. My recipe for the latter is
chop up onion & garlic, leaves of tomato plant, add to blender with cayenne pepper, black pepper, any strong aromatic herbs you have around (mint, basil, tansy, tarragon, etc). Blend it up with water, a little salad oil to help it stick, and a few drops of liquid soap (not detergent) and let sit over night. Strain well and spray.

[Chris C]

As I mentioned in my first post, I'm using NEEM regularly. I started out the season with garlic spray. Neither seems to be working. (or maybe they are working and my infestation would be much worse had I not used these things)

[kimbledawn]

I am so glad you started this thread. I had a cuke plant with wilt and couldn't understand why until I looked up the cucumber beetle after I saw one on my plant( I have the spotted one). I have since pulled the plant and sprayed everything. I only saw two but I am so afraid of it getting out of control. They eat everything!

I did a soil soak with neem and I sprayed with pepper spray. I hope it helps.

[applestar]

That was squash borers in my Yellow Crookneck squash.
I found 6 FAT 3/4" grubs when I dissected the crumbly remains of the vine. :evil::evil::evil::evil::evil:

I've planted my [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17804&view=next&sid=c329d30140267ce3adfe96108d012110]washing machine corn starts[/url] -- 2~3" tall with 4" roots -- in its place. Matures in 62 days... I'm cutting it close -- hope they make it.

[BrianSkilton]

I hear you guys...I had 27 squash plants of all different variety, not one of them was left alone by the vine borer (grub). Lost 6 plants already and everyone has yellow leaves, have inspected them all they all have holes. Some are doing fairly okay even considering, such as the musque de provence (fairy tale pumpkin). My summer squash so far I have gotten four of them in which I used in a carbonara 2 crooknecks and two scallop. I picked another crookneck today only to find it was bored into by either a slug or a grub. Seems all the plants are also affected by slugs, they won't stay off the fruit. I have sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth all around but didn't seem to stop the slugs. What to do what to do...

[The Helpful Gardener]

Let's be clear here; Chris said bugs, not beetles. You mean[url=https://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse/squash.html]these guys[/url]Chris?

They are busting out in my garden now; I had been staying ahead by rubbing out eggs on leafs (finger and thumb) but am now spraying, alternating fatty acids of neem and pyrethrins. The egss are not poisoned so you may get hatch the next day after spraying, and these guys can HIDE; spray under the laef and they run on top, and vice versa, Spray until drip, both sides and the soil around the base too. Can't be too thorough. Alternating the pyrethrin means nobody gets too used to any one thing; this may be part of the issue... but rubbing out eggs is good stuff too...

HG

[applestar]

Oooh. Now I'm wondering if I have that too. I've seen bugs like that -- except I thought they were Stink Bugs... I wasn't aware they caused serious damage. Now I'm going to have to find out more about them.

[Chris C]

Thank you, Scott! Yes, I mean THOSE guys! They've killed one of my largest Zucchini plants and I've only two left and am battling to keep them healthy. Right now I've got a good coat of NEEM on them from yesterday, as well as having sprayed them with garlic spray today. I'm in a quandary. I really insist this be an organic garden, but how in the heck am I to combat these guys? I've two sides of the garden planted in Marigolds, and two sides planted in Zinnias, along with a half row of Zinnias in the middle. This is my first garden and I'm really doing my best, but nothing seems to keep these guys away. I'm about ready to turn my chickens loose in the garden..................only problem is they are only 6 weeks old and I don't think they'd know what to do with bugs as large as these!!!!!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Like I said, I was keeping up fine with these guys by hand for a long while, but they did a lot of damage last year and the hot weather is their bread and butter.

If neem is not getting it done, try pyrethrin (the natural form; pyrethroids are synthesized and the jury's still out). It's my fall back as it is more toxic and not as selective in who it kills (it was the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the U.S. this past year, and a WARNING label, so be careful; organic does not necessarily mean non-toxic). SO I use this as a big gun, using neem for most things. Don't give up on neem; there are extracts like [url=https://www.planetnatural.com/site/bon-neem.html]Bon-Neem[/url], which uses the potassium of fatty acids from neem, a good double whammy. These are soft bodied bugs so we have many ways...

Most importantly don't settle on any one product, rotate your pesticides, do your homework to find out who you are shooting at, and use your best available management practice. As always, we are here to help...

HG

[Chris C]

Thanks, Scott.

[Diane]

The striped ones? I call them cucumber beetles -- they have been attacking my melons I catch every one I see and squash them (Squash Bugs ) But they're quick! The moment they see you, they go around to the other side of the leaf or flower, and drop off into the undergrowth or fly away! In my zucchini and yellow crookneck, I can hardly catch them because the vines have grown so much I can't reach the middle. In fact, I have the feeling one of the vines got the wilt (courtesy of the cuke beetles) -- or the squash vine borer -- I can see from the window that all the leaves are limp. Don't want to go out there yet, it's still dark and the damp air from the muggy rain yesterday is full of mosquitoes.

Japanese beetles, on the other hand, are slower moving and much easier to catch but the sensation of their scrabbling feet in my hand gives me the creeps and they're too big to squash in my hand...

They are fast but I got at least five of them. They were hiding in a folded leaf right near the squash flower. There was a webbing under the leaf?
Don't know what that is.
I can't touch bugs. I use my scissiors or gloves to kill bugs.
It's always a battle.
I usually wait until I'm ready to go inside to water. The mosquitoes come out of hiding when it's wet and they love me.

[rainbowgardener]

They love me too and at the bottom of our hillside is a big mosquito breeding pond, so the hillside is fierce with mosquitos. That's the area I'm turning into a native woodland shade garden, but I don't go down there in summer unless I'm coated in Cutter's.... I don't know how we feel about Cutter's being part of organic gardening, but it doesn't go on the plants or in the soil and I wouldn't be able to garden my yard without it.

[smokensqueal]

What great name for a bug "squash bug" It's almost like it's call out to you. Anyway I'm growing my first pumpkin this year and found out the other day that it was/is full of these bugs. I've never grown any zucchini or squash or pumpkins before and no one in my area has a garden so I have no idea where these guys came from. I tried the squash method last night and I bet that I squashed hundreds of them. I think my pumpkin plant is done for but I'm going to try and keep it going to get a few pumpkins off it.

[Diane]

I bet that felt good.
They winter over but if you haven't had those plants, where do they come from?
Maybe like over ripe bananas and fruit flies, if you have them they will come.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Haven't kicked the DEET thing entirely myself but try to do without as much as possible. I find an occasional bite helps keep my reaction from being too catastrophic (hardly even swell at all anymore) Besides, kayaking coastal and riverine areas brings me in prodigious contact...

Just pyrethrined the other day and the population is way down, but not out. Neem tomorrow until they are reall under control; rubbing eggs out beforehand.

They finished off what the voles left of the acorn squash; seem to really like those...

I hear Mother Hubbard makes a great trap crop for these little b*****ds, and I will be starting seed next year (as NO ONE is growing this one anymore... )

HG

[Diane]

There is a time and place for some chemicals. Many in my family are allergic and some deathly allergic to bug stings.
You don't want to get West Nile either.

I bought Ortho Ecosence pyrethrin spray a few months ago and haven't used it yet.
It is only about 1% P and 99% other.
Is this what you use Scott?
They fooled me with the name.

[kimbledawn]

I now have all of the squash bugss but only a few of each. My dh dug three vine borers out yesterday and I was so frustrated that I almost pulled all the plants. They all had fruit a week ago and now they only have male flowers. I hve been chasing the yellow spotted squash beetle and I saw two of the grey squash bugs. I have done a soil soak with neem, sprayed with pepper spray and sprayed with thuricide. Now I am waiting.....

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hi Diane; yes, a time and place for chemicals. Naturally occuring ones preferably, and yes, pyrethrin is the right stuff. Can't speak for the other 99%, and they don't HAVE to tell you what that is, so I probably wouldn't buy from a company who's main product line is chemicals, as the "other ingredients" are often worse than the active ingredient. I buy a brand [url=https://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8101&bhcd2=1250268158]mixed with canola[/url], so I know what the rest is. We should begin to demand our products list EVERYTHING; enough of this loophole that allows bad people to put bad things in products and poison good people just trying to do the right thing. It's insidious and wrong and it should stop...

KD, a few of everything is where I live most of the year and it describes the situation right now very well. Couple of striped cucumber beetles here and there, ocasional spotted squash beetle, and the ubiquitous squash bugs. A little damage here and there, but nothing serious; just came in from harvesting four nice zukes and five lovely summer squash so the plants are okay despite the earlier vine borer attacks and constant onslaught. We do not need to eliminate the scourge, just knock it back to where the plants can do their thing. Keep that in mind so you don't lose your mind over the bugs, just keep an eye out and keep up and it will be fine...

HG