New sprouts!

[Cerbiesmom]

I had to pull my squash plants. Now I know about squash vine borers. I started a different kind of squash in hopes they'll leave this batch alone, as well as 2 kinds of green beans and some pumpkin seeds. I started them in pots on monday, and everything except one of the beans had little seedies popping out of them today. It was exciting. This will be my first transplanted seedlings. Everything else I either started seeds in the garden, or bought plants. I think I may have done this too late, it may be too hot for the seedings to be transplanted. We'll see.

[Liska]

I had to pull my squash plants. Now I know about squash vine borers. I started a different kind of squash in hopes they'll leave this batch alone, as well as 2 kinds of green beans and some pumpkin seeds. I started them in pots on monday, and everything except one of the beans had little seedies popping out of them today. It was exciting. This will be my first transplanted seedlings. Everything else I either started seeds in the garden, or bought plants. I think I may have done this too late, it may be too hot for the seedings to be transplanted. We'll see.

I'm sorry to hear about your squash but Thats wonderful your seedlings are doing well! I hope they manage okay. What type of pumpkins did you plant?

[rainbowgardener]

We should call them squash vine horrors! They are the worst plague of my garden! I hate them. One day you have a big beautiful zucchini plant with gorgeous leaves and flowers and probably the first fruit. Two days later you have a pitiful, pathetic, wilted mess...

[engineeredgarden]

Squash vine horror it is! My biggest enemy is squashbugs...

EG

[Cerbiesmom]

They are horrors, arent' they? I had a 3" squash and I had to pull the last plant. I was hoping it would live long enough for the last one to mature, but no.

Not sure what kind of pumpkin, I'll have to look at the seed packet. Nothing huge, I just mainly want the pumpkins for the dogs actually. They need a lot of added fiber in their diet.

[BriarPatch]

Can anything be done for the "swuash vine horrors". They've wiped out 20% of my Squash and Zuchinni plants. Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

Here's a basic summary of what you can do for them:

grow your squash under row cover (secured at the bottom) (then you may have to hand pollinate the flowers)

wrap the stems in tin foil so the borers can't get to them

treat preventatively with diatomaceous earth and/ or neem oil (before the larvae get inside)

grow squashes like butternut that the borers don't like

If you see the little hole in the stem with sawdust like frass (droppings) below it, slit the stem there and dig the borer larvae out

Insecticides are not generally effective against the larvae, since they are inside the plant and protected. But you can inject Bt into the stem of the plant with a syringe.


Using Natural Insect Repellents
There are several natural insect repellents that often kill the moth of the Squash Vine Borer on contact, but also serves as a repellent by creating a bad taste for the critter and make it go someplace else to munch and lay eggs. Neem Oil Soap, Hot Pepper Wax, and Garlic Barrier all have this potential repellent capability when applied properly on the tops and the bottoms of leaves of the target plant at least two weeks before you expect the Moth to arrive, probably around the first of May. The repelling effect will last for several weeks to a month depending on the weather conditions, so you may wish to add another application every two weeks or so [url=https://yardener.com/YardenersPlantProblemSolver/DealingWithPestInsects/PestInsectsInTheVegetableGarden/SquashVineBorer/SolutionsforSquashVineBorer]solutions for squash vine borer[/url]

companion plant with repellant plants—catnip, tansy, radishes, nasturtiums, marigolds, beebalm, or mints.

Those are all the (organic) controls I know of -- if anyone knows of others please do add them!

In general, I think any one of these (except maybe keeping them the whole time under tightly secured row covers) is not going to be totally effective alone, but a couple different methods together might be sufficient.

[Cerbiesmom]

So how do I apply the diatomaceous earth to the garden? I have a giant bag of it for my dogs, lol. Now it can have multiple uses.