What are these all over my squash plants?

[pebbles]

I have these little black specks all over my squash plants. Very heavy on the underside of the leaves and they attack the blooms before they open causing the blossom to not open. I have been fighting them all season with Sevin with limited success. Squash harvet has been OK but not what I am use to. These were also on my Chitalpa tree and caused a serious loss of leaves. What are these things and how do I fight them?

I have a few squash bugs but not a big infestation that I can see. Some of the leaves are now turning a lighter shade of green with darker green veining.

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[lesa]

Very hard to tell from the pics, but I am going to guess you have a very heavy infestation of flea beetles....

 

[bearmanz400]

I'd spray down with some rotenone - just saying

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I'd spray down with some rotenone - just saying

Please tell me what "just saying" means. I hear people saying that now and then and it makes no sense to me at all. It must mean something important if people take the time to say it. Confused in the country.

 

[thistlebloom]

Do they hop or fly when disturbed? They look like black aphids to me, ...do they squish if you run your hand over them?
Aphids can be hosed off, or you can also kill them with an insecticidal soap.

 

[pebbles]

No, they do not move away like aphids. They are as small as aphids, smaller even. Yes, if I run my hand over them they squish, but do not move away.

 

[thistlebloom]

Sure seems like what you have is aphids then, try washing them off with a strong stream of water, then use insecticidal soap (Safer makes one). Some people on this forum have used neem oil on aphids, but I don't have any experience with that.
Please keep us posted... hope you get it under control!

 

[digitS']

Just like that, Pebbles!

Your arid environment is a big plus for using insecticidal soap on aphids. Blast them off with the hose maybe sometime in the morning. The survivors will limp back to their places by late afternoon and the plants will be completely dry by then. The aphids that already had wings and flew off, you probably don't need to worry much about them.

Get after the aphids on the plants with insecticidal soap just before sundown. It is a "contact" spray, so make contact. As you can see now, they are mostly under the leaves. Hit the ground around the plants, also. There may be a few stragglers still trying to get back to the plants.

Show up early the next morning with the hose again. You are rinsing the soap off the plants that have experienced a lot of abuse by now, so be gentle. Check during the day to learn whether you need to spray again that evening. Tolerate a few but don't allow them to swarm the plants again. Your plants will love you for the help you are providing.

Steve

 

[pebbles]

Thank you, everyone, for your help. I will be spraying my heart out....THANK YOU!!!!!

 

[hoodat]

I'd spray down with some rotenone - just saying

Please tell me what "just saying" means. I hear people saying that now and then and it makes no sense to me at all. It must mean something important if people take the time to say it. Confused in the country.

I don't know about the rest of the country but in Oklahoma it's sort of a way of softening a remark that might otherwise seem harsh.