What's eating my zukes?

[GardenJester]

something is eating my zuke, I haven't been able to catch the bug responsible. Would appreciated help with identifying and eliminating the bugger.

[img]https://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/JesterJames72/0627001419b.jpg[/img]
picture of the damaged leaf.
[img]https://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/JesterJames72/0627001419.jpg[/img]
another pic of the damaged
[img]https://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/JesterJames72/0627001418a.jpg[/img]
I caught these two bugs mating, are they the ones responsible?
[img]https://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/JesterJames72/0627001419a.jpg[/img]
this looks like a different kind of damage, mildew?

[DoubleDogFarm]

They look like squash bugs. Take a look at this link

https://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg61.html

and the powder leaves maybe mildew

[rainbowgardener]

yup, here's another picture of the squash bugs:

https://survivalfarm.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/squashbug.jpg

those would be what is eating your plant...

[TWC015]

I have to disagree on the squash bug damage. I quite sure the squash bugs are not causing this damage.

I've seen squash bugs feeding and kill plants of mine. When they feed, they don't eat the leaf; they suck the plant juices out of the leaves, which turns the area yellow and the leaf turns black, shrivels up, and eventually falls off the plant.

I will, however, say that you should try to kill those two adults cause the nymphs can quickly destroy a squash plant.

[GardenJester]

thanks for the helps. Looks like I will have to dust the zukes with DE.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

you should hand pick them and either squish them or put them in soapy water to drown them. They are nearly impossible to kill as adults with chemical and while DE is great stuff it is hard to keep effective without constant reapplications. If you don't pick them off and kill them, you'll more than likely be covered in them. they reproduce quickly when not controlled and can really mess with your cucurbit harvests.

Last year at our old house the infestation was so bad, we didn't even get one squash. I used sevens dust on them and it didn't even touch the adults. (this is not a suggestion, last year I was not organic...I've learned a lot since then) this year I have done nothing but hand pick them, and I have not had any issues that are out of control to the point that I felt like I needed to spray an insecticide.

I'm sure that you are seeing clusters of redish brown eggs on the plants' leaves and stems. Those will need crushed as well.

I have graduated this week from squishing them to drowning them. It's much less messy and, although I first thought I might be prolonging their deaths, it's actually quicker. And it's easier on the gross out factor.

Don't prolong doing this...their numbers can get out of contol quickly. And, if you've seen them mating, I can assure you there are more.

Happy squishing to you!

[Gary350]

Growing up on the farm we always called those bugs, stink bugs. You catch a bug, then hold it up to a cat or dogs nose real quick before the animal realizes what it is, once they get a smell of that bug watch what happens next. The cat or dog will foam at the mouth, they get very sick and vomit. They drag their nose on the ground and slobber all over the place for 10 to 15 minutes. My grandfather use to say, you need to look out because that can kill a dog doing that.

[img]https://survivalfarm.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/squashbug.jpg[/img]

Get some bird houses and you won't have a bug problem.

[GardenJester]

okie... what's best condition for catching these bugs? like early morning, after a rain? or is it dry and high noon?

[Gary350]

okie... what's best condition for catching these bugs? like early morning, after a rain? or is it dry and high noon?

The bugs are pretty slow moving. If you see one on the plant you can reach and pick it up. It will try to walk away and when you touch it then it may try to fly. They don't usually try to fly but they can fly pretty fast. A vacuum cleaner might work to suck them off the plants.

I had a hornets nest in the ground in the front yard. I put a vacuum cleaner over the hole and let it run for 4 hours. As the hornets came out of the hole one by one they got sucked up. I sucked up about 2 gallons of hornets there was several 1000 dead hornets inside that vacuum cleaner. I lift it set in the hot Sun for a week before I opened the vacuum cleaner and looked inside. They were all dead.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

I see them mostly in the morning after I water. But I see them in the afternoon when I harvest too. Any time I go to the garden I take a red plastic cup with hot soapy water with me. Every time... Cause I always see something.

[gixxerific]

I hope PETA doesn't see this thread. Especially your last post Gary. I was looking up sticky traps the other day there was a PETA link talking about how evil they are, they would hate the vacuum trick.

Back on topic: If it is squash bugs do as they say or you will have a mass population of them quickly.

I am having the same issue I notice at least 2 leaves (on the underside) with a combined 60 + eggs on them. So go check your plant and if you see the red eggs take the section of leaf off and throw away, not in the compost.

There is a pic of what the eggs look like here: [url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://extension.usu.edu/juab/images/uploads/Agriculture/Insects/Squash%2520bug.jpg&imgrefurl=https://extension.usu.edu/juab/htm/insects&h=480&w=640&sz=244&tbnid=KoTU0iI8nUtAIM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsquash%2Bbug&usg=__JyQ0Xgopqw07KQcX02p6zSj9CVw=&sa=X&ei=xaAoTMuHBcXfnAe0yOSoAQ&ved=0CCkQ9QEwAg]squash bug images[/url]

[LindsayArthurRTR]

So go check your plant and if you see the red eggs take the section of leaf off and throw away, not in the compost.

I just brush them into the soapy water

[garden5]

Hmmm....if soapy water kills them, I wonder if spraying the plants with a soap (NOT DETERGENT)/water solution wouldn't kill them?

[LindsayArthurRTR]

To each his own I have a quarter acre garden, it's large, there's lots of bad bugs Hand picking is extremely effective, doesn't burn my plants, and doesn't kill beneficials.

[gixxerific]

Soapy water spray would work but I just picked the leaves and sprayed the leaves while in my hand just to make sure.

I didn't want to spray my plants there were ladybugs and trichodoma (sp) wasp and what not on there as well. So I just handpicked them. I thought about the dumping into soapy water but didn't feel like it at the time.

[garden5]

I can't believe it, just after reading this thread yesterday, I came across my first squash bug. Well, at lease I know what do now .

[GardenJester]

I have eggs on my zuke and squash leaves. Should I just wash it off with soap water? Will the insecticide soap sold in the stores kill the eggs? will washing the eggs off the leafs be enough to kill it, or should I remove it entirely from the garden? thanks for any help.

[applestar]

If you've found the eggs, rub them off the leaves with your fingers, gloved hand, etc. (all in all I prefer bare hands so I can feel them and know I've got them) Squish them, smear them on to something, wash off into a cup of soapy water, feed them to your tropical fish... ANYTHING! Just don't let them hatch on your plant! (I.e. remove entirely from the GARDEN)

I prefer not to spray when I can see and catch the pest (and eggs are usually too slow to run, hide, or fly away )

[LindsayArthurRTR]

feed them to your tropical fish.

Now, THAT'S an idea!!!

[GardenJester]

good suggestion, but what I am trying to get to was, is it sufficient just wash the eggs off the leaves? even should it hatchs on the ground, the larva would die from lack of food or be eaten by some predator like ants?

[applestar]

ANYTHING! Just don't let them hatch on your plant! (I.e. remove entirely from the GARDEN)

Personally, I wouldn't count on them not being able to find their way back, especially with nymphs of bigger bugs. Ants can find their own food.