Squash bug war

[catjac1975]

Rotenone is organic and will work on the nymphs. I used to have a big problem with squash bugs. I don't know why that has changed but I have a few theories. I wrote to Organic Gardening many years ago. Truthfully they were not very helpful as they said squash bugs were not usually a big problem. Hmmmm what did this mean to me? Clearly I had an overpopulation of this certain bug.
One thing I always did was plant squash etc. in leaf mulch. This gave a place for the bugs to hide and multiply. I no longer do this. My chickens range in the veggie garden from hard frost until first planting. They scratch and eat all day long. I have also bought lacewing larvae, preying mantis casings and lady bugs. I bought them many years ago and there is still evidence of their populations every year. I don't actually know what pests they eat. I also use horse manure, chicken manure, lime, greensand, leaves tilled in, for soil amendments. When I see a squash bug I squash it and leave the corpse on the plant. What has changed my luck with these pests I don't really know.
The theory of organics is that weak plants send out a pheromone that attracts the bugs, and that healthy plants do not attract the pests.
I used sevin or something like it, once, many years ago and could smell it when I cooked the squash. I pulled up all of this plants. Hope this is a help to someone.

 

[AllyRodrigues]

Kassaundra, you were absolutely right. In watering tomatoes this morning, I found them there, too! I took my 5 year old son to show him which ones I wanted gone and then offered a quarter for each body. We'll see how that goes.....

 

[Kassaundra]

catjac ............ NOT A PROBLEM!!!!!!!! what planet do they live on????

ally, show him how to use the water hose to flush them out. I am so pleased w/ this method it is still labor intensive in that you have to inspect every plant and squish every bug, but it sure makes the time you do it cooler (temp wise) and 100% more productive. I have done it 2 or 3 times since my original post and each time get dramatically fewer bugs, my plants are looking much healthier, and have very few egg clusters anymore.

 

[catjac1975]

Yea- I was shocked too. At the time they were my worst nemesis. Problem has improved greatly.

catjac ............ NOT A PROBLEM!!!!!!!! what planet do they live on????

ally, show him how to use the water hose to flush them out. I am so pleased w/ this method it is still labor intensive in that you have to inspect every plant and squish every bug, but it sure makes the time you do it cooler (temp wise) and 100% more productive. I have done it 2 or 3 times since my original post and each time get dramatically fewer bugs, my plants are looking much healthier, and have very few egg clusters anymore.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I'm having a huge problem with them this year. They are all over my yellow squash, zucchini, pattypans, acorn squash AND my cucumbers. I'm seriously thinking of pulling them all out, burning them and starting over in new beds. Actually... that might just work, since I've got a couple of empty beds from pulling out all the cool weather crops. How do I keep them from finding my new squash?

 

[ducks4you]

I'm trying multiculture growing in my beds. I've planted my 2012--2 volunteers--zucchini in the same bed as the spring bolting spinach, 3 potato plants, and multiple radish gone to seeds. I am hoping that the bugs will go after the other crops first. I'll let you know...

 

[Kassaundra]

mamachicken Keep them from finding the new squash Don't think that is possible!!!!!

ducks All mine are interplanted w/ several things including radish allowed to go to seed, it has made no difference to the buggers!!!!

 

[so lucky]

Has anyone tried putting a net over the young plants with any success? Or do they come from the ground?

 

[Kassaundra]

Has anyone tried putting a net over the young plants with any success? Or do they come from the ground?

They fly in from other areas, but stay under the ground around the plants most of the time. I didn't realize this until I started spraying w/ the waterhose to squish them, 90% of what I get to come out of hiding is from under ground right around the plant. If you netted the young plants you may keep them off while young but as soon as you lift the net for the polinators they will there.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassaundra, you were absolutely right. In watering tomatoes this morning, I found them there, too! I took my 5 year old son to show him which ones I wanted gone and then offered a quarter for each body. We'll see how that goes.....

Well, did he break the bank????