What are these bugs & how do I get rid of them?

[leean1207]

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These bugs infested our summer squash & zucchini plants. Now they have moved on to our cantelope on the other side of the garden.

We are totally new to gardening and really want to keep it organic. Can you tell me what these bugs are and what we should use to get rid of them before we plant for fall?

[PaleMelanesian]

Aaaargh! I'm sorry. Those are Squash Bugs. They're pretty hard to get rid of. They suck the stems and will kill the plant if there are too many of them.

Their name is how I control them - squash the bugs. I use latex gloves because they will stain your hands. Try to squash all the light gray ones. Once they get big and dark and look kind of like a stink bug they start to reproduce.

Also look for eggs. They're little pinhead sized dark brown things often on the underside of the leaves in little rows or patterns, in clusters of 10-30.

[leean1207]

That's not gonna work. I'm disabled and can't bend over or squat to do that. My husband works full time, then comes home and tends to the animals & garden on our 10 acre ranch.

I ordered some Spinosad for the grasshopper infestation.Willthat kill these "squash bugs" too?

Are they a kind of beetle?

[PaleMelanesian]

You can try it. I haven't so I can't tell you one way or the other. It probably works better on the small gray ones than the grown black ones.

They're a relative of the stink bug.

[dustyrivergardens]

Nothing can kill a squash bug...lol good luck I plant squash 3 times a year the first time i plant in the spring and when my plants start blooming I plant my 2nd time same for the 3rd planting the squash bugs will go for the oldest plants usually..lol and leave the younger ones alone. good luck fire works great on killing them.

[cynthia_h]

Several people here on the forums have recommended BT, either sprayed on the plants or injected into the stems of the affected plants. Bacillus thurengiensis. It's organic.

Sorry, just got an urgent doc for same-night turnaround on my other email, but a Search on BT will give you more specifics.

ETA: I actually posted this "11:12 a.m." msg at 7:12 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time! very weird....

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9