PLEASE help me--haven't had ANY squash survive in years

[ducks4you]

The last time I had any cucumbers, zucchini, hubbard, pumpkins, yellow or acorn squashes or melons survive was about 8 years ago. Every year they get attacked by insect predators. My garden plots are close to the house and my 5 acres butt up against farm fields. I have bought squash and I now know that I could have brought pests into my gardens that way. I KNOW that the farmers keep using stronger insecticides every year. Perhaps that factors into my failures, too.
For the past several years I've seen aphids and squash vine borers and
I've seen wireworm adults, and I've seen mealworms grown from spoiled chicken feed in my grainroom and around spilled chicken feed outsides. Perhaps I am seeing some wireworms, too--they look alike. I cannot keep any squash plants alive long enough to harvest fruit. Yes, I haven't really fought back with insecticides but I had one great year that I got loads of cucumbers grown on the ground, pumpkins by the dozens, hubbard squash that I cut up and canned an enjoyed into the next winter, and 3 zucchini plants would give me way over what I need. I started researching and thought we could have a discussion about what works for YOU, so I can buy products ahead of time and prepare.
Here is some of my research.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in168
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2207.html
"Control of Curcurbit Insects
Cucumber beetles or squash beetles can be controlled effectively using carbaryl (Sevin), but wait one day after spraying before harvest. For aphids or spider mites use an insecticidal soap such as Concern Insect Killing Soap or Safer Brand Soap. Control heavy populations of aphids or spider mites with neem oil extract (such as Green Light Neem Concentrate or Bonide Bon-Neem).

For vine borers and pickleworms control after mid-June, apply carbaryl (Sevin) or neem oil extract weekly, and spray or dust in the evening to not kill pollinating insects. Wait one day after spraying carbaryl before harvest. Rotenone (such as Hi-Yield Rotenone Dust) is effective against younger squash bugs, but not against the adults. Esfenvalerate (such as Ortho Bug-B-Gon MAX Garden & Landscape Insect Killer RTU) or permethrin (such as Bonide Eight Insect Control Vegetable, Fruit & Flower Concentrate) or bifenthrin (such as Ortho Bug-B-Gon MAX Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Concentrate) will control cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers and pickleworms, but wait 3 days after spraying before harvest."
Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

[digitS']

My idea is that you may be able to find Rotenone as a dust but I can no longer find Rotenone Pyrethrin spray, Ducks'. The Bt spray that was especially for beetles, san diego strain, is also gone off the market.

I had problems with skin rashes when I used Neem oil - the one time I tried it. Maybe, or maybe not, I'm a little sensitive to that but quite a few things will kill aphids and spider mites, including the insecticidal soap. I've used Spinosad with fairly good success against quite a few different beetles & caterpillars.

None of these organic sprays will last long. That's why I like Rotenone because it protected the plants for a few days, at least. Pyrethrin by itself may be especially short lived. However, what it is doing is "gassing" the bugs. That can be important if you can't quite hit them with the spray. Squash bugs are quick to hide and I'm down, nearly on the ground, trying to hit them with spray. Pyrethrin seems to help with bugs that do that.

Aphids and spider mites need that contact. I think they are just latched on, sucking juices, and some insecticides have little effect on them. Spider mites aren't quite insects, anyway. The horticultural oils & soaps dehydrate both critters and that does it.

No persistence - I might be back every week with either the Spinosad, the Pyrethrin, or the soap spray. One year isn't really like the next. Vine borers don't seem to have found us here but the squash bugs don't always show up. Other years, they will show up on the plants in hordes!

Those 3 sprays have been what it comes down to, Ducks'. I don't know that I've got any great idea about the powdery mildew that has really messed up the squash some years. The only thing I do is plant them again in early summer so that if I have to pull the May transplants, there are still some younger plants in the garden.

The only idea I have about virus diseases is -- keep the bugs from spreading them around the garden!

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

Frankly I would starve before using Sevin.
Let your chickens forage in the garden on the off season to eat the larvae.
Choose seed that the insects like less. I love Rumbo squash for this reason. I grow it on a fence to keep the vines off the soil.
Plant consecutively. One crop should be off of the insect's cycle. Do not use leaf mulch around squash. Squash bugs hide in it.
I use Rotenone which is effective and organic. Pyrethrum is good also. Last year was the first year in a long time that I used an insecticide because of striped cucumber beetles.
Try bug juice. Catch the offending bug, mix with dish soap and water, blend in an old blender, let sit for a few days, strain, and spray on the plants.
Floating row covers are supposed to help though I have not used them in a long time.
Plant radish seeds near each plant and leave one to go to seed.
Plant an early trap crop outside of your garden to attract insects. Pull and burn if you see pests.
Rotate your crops.
The organic mantra is healthy soil makes healthy plants that do not attract pests.
I have had the most success since the chickens have been in the garden winters.The next most important thing is consecutive planting.

The last time I had any cucumbers, zucchini, hubbard, pumpkins, yellow or acorn squashes or melons survive was about 8 years ago. Every year they get attacked by insect predators. My garden plots are close to the house and my 5 acres butt up against farm fields. I have bought squash and I now know that I could have brought pests into my gardens that way. I KNOW that the farmers keep using stronger insecticides every year. Perhaps that factors into my failures, too.
For the past several years I've seen aphids and squash vine borers and
I've seen wireworm adults, and I've seen mealworms grown from spoiled chicken feed in my grainroom and around spilled chicken feed outsides. Perhaps I am seeing some wireworms, too--they look alike. I cannot keep any squash plants alive long enough to harvest fruit. Yes, I haven't really fought back with insecticides but I had one great year that I got loads of cucumbers grown on the ground, pumpkins by the dozens, hubbard squash that I cut up and canned an enjoyed into the next winter, and 3 zucchini plants would give me way over what I need. I started researching and thought we could have a discussion about what works for YOU, so I can buy products ahead of time and prepare.
Here is some of my research.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in168
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2207.html
"Control of Curcurbit Insects
Cucumber beetles or squash beetles can be controlled effectively using carbaryl (Sevin), but wait one day after spraying before harvest. For aphids or spider mites use an insecticidal soap such as Concern Insect Killing Soap or Safer Brand Soap. Control heavy populations of aphids or spider mites with neem oil extract (such as Green Light Neem Concentrate or Bonide Bon-Neem).

For vine borers and pickleworms control after mid-June, apply carbaryl (Sevin) or neem oil extract weekly, and spray or dust in the evening to not kill pollinating insects. Wait one day after spraying carbaryl before harvest. Rotenone (such as Hi-Yield Rotenone Dust) is effective against younger squash bugs, but not against the adults. Esfenvalerate (such as Ortho Bug-B-Gon MAX Garden & Landscape Insect Killer RTU) or permethrin (such as Bonide Eight Insect Control Vegetable, Fruit & Flower Concentrate) or bifenthrin (such as Ortho Bug-B-Gon MAX Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Concentrate) will control cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers and pickleworms, but wait 3 days after spraying before harvest."
Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated!
Frankly I would starve before using Sevin.
The first thing I would do is let your chickens forage in your garden during the off season. I think it would really reduce insect larvae.
Choose curcubits and such that the bugs do not prefer. I love Rumbo squash, let them grow on a fence, and squash bugs seem to not like it.
The organic mantra is healthy soil, make healthy plants that do not attract insects.
A big thing for me is to plant consecutively. When one planting is attacked the younger plants take over.For me it seems the earlier plantings are more susceptible to insect damage.
Floating row covers are encouraged but I myself have not used them. Plant radish seeds in each hill and let one plant go to seed. This is supposed to discourage bugs. You can also try planting a trap crop in a nearby bed so bugs eat that and not your main crop.
I use Rotenone, and organic insecticide, which works well on striped cucumber beetles and squash bug nymphs. Another thing to try is bug juice. Take the offending bug, put in water with dish soap, smash in an old blender, let sit for a couple of days. Strain and spray on the plants.This has worked for me.
The thing that is most effective for me is chickens foraging in the garden.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Darn Cat, we’re going to miss you. And I kind of liked having you around.


The two squash pests I have are the squash vine borer and the squash bug. The borer hasn’t really been that much of a problem most years. The few times it’s shown up, I split the vine with my pocket knife lengthwise and remove the caterpillar and cover the wound with dirt. That’s actually been pretty successful. If you can grow squash that has a solid stem, not a hollow stem, you can defeat the borer. They need that hollow stem.


The squash bug is my problem. Many years I find that what Hoodat posted about his experience when he lived in this part of the country is very accurate. H said he quit trying to grow squash here because of the squash bug. Some years I get absolutely nothing out of my squash, some years they do pretty good, like this past year. I was even able to get winter squash, not just summer squash.


The squash bug is hard to kill. It does not eat the plant, it sucks the juice. That means it is not going to eat any pesticide you spray on. You have to hit the body with a contact pesticide, not one that has to be ingested. They are pretty fast and real good at hiding. I find it hard to kill the adults with a pesticide, though I have not yet tried Steve’s Spinosad. From what I read, it seems to be a decent one but I haven’t found anything that says whether it is a contact poison or if it has to be ingested. I don’t know why but that very basic information is hard to find on any pesticide.


The problem here with squash bugs is not just that they are hard to kill and multiply like crazy, but they can spread a wilting disease. Even when I can keep the numbers somewhat under control, that disease gets me. For some unknown reason there just weren’t many squash bug sin this area. Carla at the garden store commented on it.


I even skipped trying to grow squash one year in hopes that by not having any for them to feed on, I would not have that many the following year. Nope, didn’t work. I think there is probably a wild weed here that they find to eat and multiply on after hey kill off my squash.


Ducks I know this is more griping as opposed to anything that is likely to help you, but I like my squash. I get frustrated.

 

[Smart Red]

Sad to say I didn't think of chickens when the few squash bugs arrived, but when I had an outbreak of Colorado Potato beetles in 2012 I let a few chickens in the garden and within a day or two there were none left. I should'a done it with the squash, huh?

 

[catjac1975]

I don't think the chickens would discriminate between a bug and the green plants but I may be wrong. I think the real trick is for them to eat the off-season overwintering larvae. I had the same problem with squash bugs until I stopped using leaves for mulch around the squash plants and left the chickens in the garden for the winter. I once wrote to Organic Gardening magazine and they told me squash bugs are not usually a problem. I was mad as hell at their reply because they were marauding monsters. But, I think their point was in a balanced environment the bugs should not take over like that. That is the real goal with organics. Lots of organic material, etc. The pesticides I use wok well on the larvae. If they get out of control a dip of the leaves in soapy will reduce the population. Try different varieties for your area and consecutive planting. Marshall talked about using a torch on the soil surface to kill bugs. Never tried that.

 

[Kassaundra]

I would take the water hose and a few of my hens into the squash area, spray the base of the plants up under the leaves, the squash bugs are hydrophobic and will cause a mass exodus as they run for their lives from the water spray, my girls swoop in and eat them. This has to be repeated a couple times a week, and used w/ consecutive planting. Consecutive planting is the only thing that works for me for the vine bores. I interplanted non yellow flowers in w/ the cucumbers this past year and had a much better time of the striped/spotted cuke beetle, they are highly attracted to yellow. I to would starve before spraying seven or any of the "icides"

 

[catjac1975]

So, your hens did not eat the plants? I have collected squash bugs in the past, put them in with the chickens, and relished them running after the bugs and gobbling them up.

 

[ducks4you]

OMG, these are great suggestions!! What do you think about me taking chicken wire and fencing in my squash beds? My chickens live in an enclosed area and I'm afraid I'll lose some layers if I just let them wander. How should I think I should handle using both insecticides and the "girls" (and their 2014 roosters)?

 

[catjac1975]

My fenced garden connects to the chicken yard with the door that we open in the winter. I would fence them in as you suggested. We use that inexpensive orange temporary fencing in the veggie garden to keep the chickens out of the newly planted areas. They headed towards the few leftover green things as soon as we let them in the garden. They shredded the parsley within minutes.