tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post9192233957424331266..comments2024-02-17T14:09:36.935-05:00Comments on Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood: Gaining Ground in the Battle on Squash Pests - maybe.Stephanie Appletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07411714132368771649noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-14387895439087912642011-08-29T20:43:07.927-04:002011-08-29T20:43:07.927-04:00We call the bugs "stink bugs" and althou...We call the bugs "stink bugs" and although they do not give off a significant odor, they definitely "stink." Best to you!HowToMenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-48951105193156995342011-08-29T15:33:36.390-04:002011-08-29T15:33:36.390-04:00We are having the same problem too. I hate handpic...We are having the same problem too. I hate handpicking them off so I have been using a shop vac and then opening it in the chicken yard with the chickens all around. Seems to be working although you have to keep finding the borers. Good luck!Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12197832196748770244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-68995925574285836892011-08-22T10:37:25.375-04:002011-08-22T10:37:25.375-04:00Stephanie, Lisa Minney from Two Lane Livin' sa...Stephanie, Lisa Minney from Two Lane Livin' said she had great success by mixing 1/2 cheap cooking oil and 1/2 water in a spray bottle and spraying it on her plants. She had the little rascals real bad. I didn't garden this year, but plan to keep a bottle on hand for next year. Hope it helps.Cozy Home Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04027019843319294911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-23000854970810039462011-08-21T17:20:32.349-04:002011-08-21T17:20:32.349-04:00I have had the exact same bugs on my zucchini this...I have had the exact same bugs on my zucchini this year. They have been horrible. And I didn't have any luck getting rid of them. Thank you for this post and I am going to keep investigating ways to prevent them before they become a problem. We garden chemical free also and it has been a struggle to keep my husband from wanting to just spray something to get rid of them.Meliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15217159792011200722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-4048817775542707922011-08-20T19:31:49.936-04:002011-08-20T19:31:49.936-04:00I've had some success using a large sailor'...I've had some success using a large sailor's needle to pierce the bugs in the stem, rather than splitting it open. If I have to make multiple stabs I try to keep them all in line so as to minimize the amount of damage to the plant. This works best when I'm pretty sure I know how far and which way the critter crawled.Jimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-48411719419967222802011-08-20T08:56:55.634-04:002011-08-20T08:56:55.634-04:00Some squash bugs will sneak under a row cover but ...Some squash bugs will sneak under a row cover but absolutely no vine borers will get at the plants until you uncover them. I've not been able to find vining varieties of summer squashes. :( On the winter squash front, I'm told that butternut is especially resistant but I'm not sure if I've seen that in action. This year I was sick and did not weed out a lot of "volunteers" (lemon basil and tomatillos mostly), and I think that made a difference. I've had the least damage to my squash plants this year of all others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-14898074817816419782011-08-20T08:50:25.460-04:002011-08-20T08:50:25.460-04:00oh that is funny, but effective I am sure!oh that is funny, but effective I am sure!Stephanie Appletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07411714132368771649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-60978766106199205592011-08-20T08:41:50.139-04:002011-08-20T08:41:50.139-04:00We've had worse years than others and the best...We've had worse years than others and the best thing to do besides hand picking is to use the vacuum cleaner. Yes, you read right. We just lugged the Hoover bagless right out to the garden and sucked up all those little creepy bugs and sucked the eggs right off the leaves and enjoyed the zucchini the rest of the season. Give it a try.Carol J. Alexanderhttp://everythinghomewithcarol.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-61638149942379933022011-08-20T06:33:02.607-04:002011-08-20T06:33:02.607-04:00Mike, They aren't drawn to light that I've...Mike, They aren't drawn to light that I've noticed. <br />Becca, :(<br />Anonymous, I did have marigold and basil close to them. One year I had radish too. I have thought about row covers, but don't the squash bugs winter over in the ground? I was afraid that row covers would just give them a nice little safe habitat. Any recommendations for vining varieties of summer squash?Stephanie Appletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07411714132368771649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-82061317786894332132011-08-19T23:30:53.799-04:002011-08-19T23:30:53.799-04:00Try keeping a row cover over your squash plants un...Try keeping a row cover over your squash plants until they start flowering. Be ready to do succession planting and expect that the plants started later in the Summer will do better. Vining varieties of squash always do better because they put down roots at other places along the vine. Then when the vine borer strikes at the main stem, there are other rooted areas of the plant to keep it alive. (Upright squash varieties are more vulnerable.) You can encourage this by piling dirt in different places along the vines. Lastly, interplant aromatic flowers / herbs (Borage, Basil, Cosmos, Zinnea, Dill, etc.) along with the squash plants. They attract beneficial insects (who will eat the bad guys) and pollinators, look pretty, and confuse the nasty critters a bit. Good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-71381760033604878952011-08-19T20:36:15.483-04:002011-08-19T20:36:15.483-04:00Steph, we have sworn the same about squash here! ...Steph, we have sworn the same about squash here! Other folks say their squash are taking over. I think I harvested one or two zucchini and maybe the same of yellow squash (I will be brave and tell you that was from FIFTY plants!) Yeesh! From what I hear, winter squash are less susceptible to the vine borer. I would think the vining squash would be less susceptible as well. I hope, anyway. :)Beccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11748356409898753600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22053382.post-17412589910708714192011-08-19T17:47:51.036-04:002011-08-19T17:47:51.036-04:00Are these pests drawn to light?Are these pests drawn to light?Kokopellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07085115913862913146noreply@blogger.com