Squash Vine Borer

[Vicky]

Aggghhh. I hate this pest. I am taking my razor later to try to remove these things. Anyone treat them successfully?

Vicky

[Cerbiesmom]

I haven't, they destroyed my first squash planting. I planted more a few weeks later, and I don't seem to have them anymore. Good luck. Cut those suckers outta there!

[Vicky]

Thinking it is too late to plant more. I tried cutting them out, but they really infiltrated, so I pulled the plants. A bit sad, since I do like zucchini.

[TZ -OH6]

I think I saw a mating pair over by the mellon patch the other day. Do SVBs hit mellons and cucumbers? I know that there are some solid vined squash varieties that are immune.

[garden5]

Zone 5? I think you may be able to get some more in and possibly get a late crop. Seed is cheap enough, I'd go for it.

[Vicky]

TZ - they usually don't bother my cucumbers. Then I would be fighting mad. I have read that they will go for pumpkins.

Garden - I will try, worth a shot. Gotta have my chocolate zucchini bread.


I used the razor and there were just so many of those darn things. I didn't bother trying to remove them, instead I pulled the plants. I am hoping that I trapped the bugs and they will be gone for next year (or later planting this year)

[FieldofFlowers]

They are in full swing here. I've been trying to the point of obsession to remove those darned eggs and pick off any leaves infected....

The eggs are tiny brown and both look and feel like a brown round, raspberry-like seed. I take the eggs and try my best to pinch them with my fingernails until I feel them give. But still they have all day to bother my garden, and there are three days each week (work) that I can't be there to remove the eggs and pick off the leaves. (yes they do attack the leaves as well as the flowers, buds, and left-over flower stalks to work their way into the stem.)

I've tried the nasturtium planting, radishes, and just plain crowding everything together as well as take those coconut fiber pots and wrap them around the stems. I'm still losing the battle... The one thing I may have going for me was the weather. We had an early spring, sans a mid May frost and our June was one of the rainiest on record! After fertilizing my squash, they took off and are bigger than I've seen them other years. Two squash are already producing their first fruits, I've gotten two zukes, and two summer squashes.

I'm hoping that because the vines are bigger I'll get at least something this year before the vine borers take hold! Right now they are attacking our cucumber vines,yikes! At least today I feel sort of good, in a very sadistic way. I killed one on my cucumber vine leaf, and took her to a plant that she can lay all the eggs she wants; my sundew!

[garden5]

Garden - I will try, worth a shot. Gotta have my chocolate zucchini bread.

I've never heard of that before. But it does sound good.

[gixxerific]

I'm am getting tore up by them right now. Earlier I spent a few hours on a seek and destroy mission. Those and the cucumber beetles both spotted and striped are all over.

But the SVB are killing my pumpkins they are a 1/3 what they were a few weeks ago. My zucchini has taken major hits as well. I just don't know what to do anymore. I so much wanted to spray something on my plants today, NEEM or something but the bees were in full swing so I didn't. So like I said, search and destroy any pest I could find. I just gave a little soap spray to those I didn't want trying to avoid the good guy's. But I pulled a leaf full of eggs and indiscriminately got a lady bug in the process, spoils of war. Sorry ms. lady bug it wasn't on purpose.

[Charlie MV]

We got two squash and about half a dozen zucchini. I'm not going to bother next year with them. There seems to be no good way to fight them.

[applestar]

That's the thing isn't it, gixx... The other day, I was going to rummage through the cucumber leaves to check for cuke beetles, but when I parted the first layer, I found myself face-to-face with a praying mantis. So I told him/her to stay on the job.

This morning, I yelled at the wren that was growling at me for loitering near the nestbox -- that the raspberries that are growing along the fence right next to the nestbox fencepost is full of Japanese beetles, and that I'm going to evict him and the Mrs. if they don't do a better job. (I know that actually, JB's are too big and too crunchy for wrens I see robins occasionally do a dive-turn-and-snatch maneuver that seems to be aimed at JB's)

I've been peering under the skirts of the Yellow Crookneck squash every chance I get, but so far -- knock on wood -- have not seen anything resembling bad guys. I just hope the little tiny black fliers hanging around down there are beneficial wasps and flies.... I left a red clover growing under the squash vines and scattered buckwheat seeds all around it which are now flowering, so I'm hoping that helped to attract the Garden Patrol.

I do see wasps going up and down the Romanesco Broccoflower leaves. I'm still keeping my block of 6 plants, hoping they'll bud in fall even though it's full of holes because so far, despite the holes, I can't find any caterpillars. I'm hoping that means the wasps (and birds -- I occasionally see cardinals hopping around in there, as well as wrens and robins) are getting them.

[BrianSkilton]

My squash were stapled down with screening fabric. I kept that on there until they looked like they were going to burst the screen fabric off. Then I took it off and put tin foil around each and every stem. I made sure to plant only the moschata types. Except I did plant some summer squash and turks turban as well. We shall see how the netting works. I'm sure they will still get to them. However they wont effect the moschata types much.

If your struggling with the SVB try the musquee de provence or cheese wheel pumpkin. These have huge amounts of flesh/meat waaay more then the average pumpkin and they are hardly effected by the SVB. Don't get me wrong the the SVB will still try to take it down, but it will get through it.

[FieldofFlowers]

This afternoon I was about to admit defeat. Felt very hopeless after seeing the part of the vine holding my single growing speghetti squash had turned yellow with a huge hole in that part.

Then later I realized, I have something these moths don't have; the human mind and the ability to create. It's too dark to do anything tonight, but I have a plan of action; air layering. I've never done it before, but I've heard of it.

Underneath each leaf node is a little root bud. (it's been wet enough this summer for them to attempt rooting near the soil.) Plastic bags with moist soil will go around many of those leaf nodes. If all goes to plan, those will take root and I can just snip out the areas the SVB's attempt to eat,and replant the rest of the squash without any harm done.

I've already sort of done this by layering some pots full of soil. The vines take root wherever those root nodes touch soil.

Hopefully I'm not too late.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

I've been peering under the skirts of the Yellow Crookneck squash every chance I get, but so far -- knock on wood -- have not seen anything resembling bad guys.

Check em in the morning right after you water em. It almost always sends them running to the top of the canopy. Then they get the hot suds treatment .

The squashbugs and SVB pressure is definitely increasing here. Thinking more and more about using neem on them. Resisting the urge to overreact right now.

We got two squash and about half a dozen zucchini. I'm not going to bother next year with them. There seems to be no good way to fight them.

We are still overrun with zucchini and pattypan. Zucchini are incredible plants...I am amazed at the harvests we got from them and are still getting! The yellow squash are done, but we got quite a harvest from them too! The pumpkin is definitely taking the worst of the bug pressure. They have recently discovered the pattypans too, and are laying eggs all over almost every leaf. I just roll the eggs off into the suds every morning. Might not make a difference this year, but I sure do think I'm puttin a hurtin on next years population

[Charlie MV]

I enjoyed listening to their little screams as I ran them through the chipper. I'm hot composting as usual so this year's batch is dead and gone. But they are smarter than me. They'll be back. I'm too old, hot and tired to crawl around putting pantyhose and tin foil on them. I'll buy squash from the friendly neighborhood farmer's market.

[Cerbiesmom]

I lost all but one of the first yellow squash I planted. So I planted more later, along with some pumpkin, and now they're on those too. I pulled them out and put the little grubby guys in the bird feeder(and laughed when the birds came). I hope they can recover. fingers crossed. My squash from the first planting has it's first squash onit. So I'll get something, at least.

[dustinpiccolo]

Does this boring larvae leave an orange like debris around the stem? Should I be concerned about my heirloom tomatoes planted near them? Help!

[FieldofFlowers]

Does this boring larvae leave an orange like debris around the stem? Should I be concerned about my heirloom tomatoes planted near them? Help!

Yes, to the first question. You will find a hole inside. If you break it open, you'll find the white little grub inside. Or if you don't, it may have crawled out and decided to chew another area in the stem. They are not above moving to new locations and causing damage.

About the tomatoes, I think they should be fine. Though I've seen them not beyond laying eggs around other plants near the squash. My cucumbers are being attacked, and sadly have no time to stop them.

[tedln]

I built elaborate hoop covers for my squash this year to protect them from SVB's. I guess the word was spread around in the SVB community because I haven't seen even one SVB this year. Since it is getting late in the season and everyone I know has a full belly of my squash, I lifted the netting so the bees could take care of the pollinating a couple of weeks ago.. Still no SVB's. I've seen a few spotted cucumber beetles, but no striped cucumber beetles. I'm pretty sure some striped beetles have been around because I have lost a few cucumber vines to bacterial wilt which is normally spread by the striped beetle. I am about ready to put up a welcome sign for the SVB's so I will have an excuse to pull the plants and add them to the compost. I'm ready to prepare the beds to grow something else. I've seen a lot of Japanese beetle grubs as I dig in my garden, but I haven't seen any real harm or damage from them. We had a few days of rain which collected in some empty pots. I noticed a lot of drowned Japanese beetles in the pots today. I've had a lot of beneficial insects in my garden this year so I guess they have been pretty good at keeping the pests controlled. I haven't seen a single aphid this year either. Last year at this time, I had aphids everywhere. I've had zero mosaic virus and zero powdery mildew this year. I did treat my squash and cucumbers with the milk solution a few times so I will assume the milk treatment prevented the mildew which I normally have every year.

I've also had a large population of frogs and toads living in my beds this year under the thick vegetation. I know they are eating a lot of bugs because some of them are getting really large. About three years ago, I started moving the frogs and toads I would see on our property to my garden. They seem to like it because they have really multiplied.

Ted

[garden5]

Does this boring larvae leave an orange like debris around the stem? Should I be concerned about my heirloom tomatoes planted near them? Help!

Yes, to the first question. You will find a hole inside. If you break it open, you'll find the white little grub inside. Or if you don't, it may have crawled out and decided to chew another area in the stem. They are not above moving to new locations and causing damage.

About the tomatoes, I think they should be fine. Though I've seen them not beyond laying eggs around other plants near the squash. My cucumbers are being attacked, and sadly have no time to stop them.

I, too, have been fortunate this year and not had any SVB. For me, it's usually the blight that puts an end to the squash harvest.