Squash Borers

[MarkR]

Are one of the banes of my existance. Last summer we lost all the pumpkins, most of the zukes and most of the yellow squash. I tried the surgery technique to deal with them but it was only slightly successful. Next spring, I'm going to delay planting squash for 2-3 weeks in hopes of missing the little buggers this time. Any other advice?

Mark

 

[Reinbeau]

Row covers? Sheer luck? For some reason I had none this past season, the season before I lost everything to them. This spring I'm going to try the row cover (well, hill cover) method, it seems that once the plants get firmly established they can withstand the little bastages a bit better.

 

[Hencackle]

I get those too. Do you get the Gardens Alive catalog? They sell beneficial nematodes that are injected into the squash vine. I keep telling myself that I will order these this year... I have used the flea control nematodes before.

 

[jdypat]

Are one of the banes of my existance. Last summer we lost all the pumpkins, most of the zukes and most of the yellow squash. I tried the surgery technique to deal with them but it was only slightly successful. Next spring, I'm going to delay planting squash for 2-3 weeks in hopes of missing the little buggers this time. Any other advice?

Mark

I have put the white powder..cant remember the name right now.. common for garden pest... seems it starts with an s.. in the hole with the plants and i have not had borers since i started this.
before that i was unable to raise squash. never did succeed in the surgery thing. the whole beautiful plant would just wilt and die.

 

[Reinbeau]

I have put the white powder..cant remember the name right now.. common for garden pest... seems it starts with an s.. in the hole with the plants and i have not had borers since i started this.
before that i was unable to raise squash. never did succeed in the surgery thing. the whole beautiful plant would just wilt and die.

Sevin? I hope not, that stuff is extremely toxic, especially to pollinators like the honeybee (nevermind the fact I've never heard of it being used in the soil like that).

 

[jdypat]

its certainly toxic to the borer, a small amount does not harm anything. is washed away totally before fruit is formed. The bees never get around it. Agriculture agent told me that it is very safe product when used with care.
if there is a chance to take i either hve to take it or forget the squash. i choose the squash. its safer than driving to the grocery for squash. judy

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

I always plant my squash in pots or in small garden beds. That always helps me

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Sevin is very toxic even in small amounts. It's approval has been taken away in many uses after further testing done in the past few years. It's residue levels are much too high to use near any crop IMO.

Try DE if you feel that treating the bite area will help. Companion planting and planting in non-ifected gardens as well as working with the nematodes will probably be the most sucessful.

 

[mooman]

If you want to be totally organic I can't help you. I don't like to use insecticides any more than most of you, but this is one case where some judicious use of seven has allowed me to grow an entire range of crops that before never made it for me. You do not have to spray anywhere near the flowers, just the first few inches of stem have done it for me, but you have to start now. Once it's in there, all the Seven in the world won't work on it.

Another thing that has worked for me somewhat is burying the vine every few feet. If the borer get the stem close to the ground the vine can sometimes root and recover.

Sevin is very toxic even in small amounts. It's approval has been taken away in many uses after further testing done in the past few years. It's residue levels are much too high to use near any crop IMO.

Do you have any references for this? I've also been told by extention agent that when used sparingly it's safe and effective.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Sevin is toxic. No pesticide is absolutely safe. Remember that.

Beneficial nematodes are great, we've used them before and when applied correctly can be very helpful.

Also, planting some nasturtiums around your squash repel squash bugs, plant them ahead of time around your squash beds. Planting radishes also helps repel lots of bugs from squash plants. Just plant some late varieties and let them go to seed.

Mulching, actually, encourages squash bugs, we use a drip irrigation system. So do woodpiles and other places that they can overwinter.

Oh, neem oil, also works great on squash borers and bugs.