Dang Squash Bugs!

[Tjlance1]

About two days ago we discovered squash bug eggs underneath the leaves of our pumkin patch and squashes. I mis-identified the squash bugs for regular stink bugs. Kinda dumb on my part.

This morning I went into the garden with a plastic zip lock bag and a cup of soapy water. I picked up and threw into the sopay water 6 squash bugs. Killed three mating pairs yesterday. I picked out the parts of the leaves infected with squash bug eggs, placed them in the ziplock bag and left it in the sun to cook the eggs.

I cannot get to all the leaves due to the fact that the pumkins and squahes have grown so large that I can't get deep into the patches. I can see the little "v" shaped patterns and it's killin me that I can't get to them.

I have been really good with gardening as natural as I can. I used an organic insecticidal soap about 4 weeks ago to control some other nasty buggers, and two weeks ago sparingly used a "safer" insecticidal spray. You can harvest one day after using it and no residue remains in the soil. Since I can't reach all the infected leaves I know the egss will hatch soon and there will be hundreds if not thousands of baby squash bugs. What should I do when this happens? Can I just use the garden hose and "wash" the newly hatched bugs off the plants? Should i buy some more of the safer insecticide and try and spray the plants down where I can reach?

I really believe I have built a decent ecosystem in the garden. I have flowers to attract good bugs, we have dragonflies out the wazoo in the garden, and birds are always in the plants pickin out bugs. Also, my favorite is back, the Great Golden Digger Wasp. They are making their underground nests and everytime they pop out, they head for the garden and come back with something to feed their larvae. All the plants are healthy and resisting the bad bugs that are there. Things are in balance and I don't want to upset that balance.

[Sungold IL]

I'm not sure I have any advice for you, but want to send my sympathies. I hate squash bugs with a passion.

Once I realized what I was dealing with, I was able to hand-pick-and-squish (or dunk) any bugs I found as I don't have a patch as big as yours. If you really have a lot this year you will have to be extra vigilant next year, too. That's what happened to me -- had a lot of bugs the first year and didn't realize how bad they were. The 2nd year I was at war with them. This year they haven't been as bad. The borers, however, got all my squash plants at home.

I don't think washing the nymphs off with water when they hatch will do much to kill them or keep them off the plants. But they don't like water and it may help you identify them so you can kill them...

Good luck!

[southerngurl]

I use a natural horse spray for them. Equisect. You can get it at feed stores or I buy mine online from valley vet as they have the best price with shipping and all figured it. We use it for a lot of things and one thing it works on is squash bugs. If you spray them on a bee or on the flowers when the bees are working them, I think it will kill them it will kill spiders etc. So I don't use more than I need and I spray at night so it dissipates before morning when the bees start working the flowers (I have two hives in my garden). It's pyrethrin with some other essential oils added. I just spray around the trunk of the plants and on any groups of youngsters I find. I have tons and tons of large spiders in the garden and I know they do eat some but they don't keep up with them.

[nedwina]

Originally Posted by Tjlance1

About two days ago we discovered squash bug eggs underneath the leaves of our pumkin patch and squashes. I mis-identified the squash bugs for regular stink bugs. Kinda dumb on my part.

This morning I went into the garden with a plastic zip lock bag and a cup of soapy water. I picked up and threw into the sopay water 6 squash bugs. Killed three mating pairs yesterday. I picked out the parts of the leaves infected with squash bug eggs, placed them in the ziplock bag and left it in the sun to cook the eggs.

I cannot get to all the leaves due to the fact that the pumkins and squahes have grown so large that I can't get deep into the patches. I can see the little "v" shaped patterns and it's killin me that I can't get to them.

I have been really good with gardening as natural as I can. I used an organic insecticidal soap about 4 weeks ago to control some other nasty buggers, and two weeks ago sparingly used a "safer" insecticidal spray. You can harvest one day after using it and no residue remains in the soil. Since I can't reach all the infected leaves I know the egss will hatch soon and there will be hundreds if not thousands of baby squash bugs. What should I do when this happens? Can I just use the garden hose and "wash" the newly hatched bugs off the plants? Should i buy some more of the safer insecticide and try and spray the plants down where I can reach?

I really believe I have built a decent ecosystem in the garden. I have flowers to attract good bugs, we have dragonflies out the wazoo in the garden, and birds are always in the plants pickin out bugs. Also, my favorite is back, the Great Golden Digger Wasp. They are making their underground nests and everytime they pop out, they head for the garden and come back with something to feed their larvae. All the plants are healthy and resisting the bad bugs that are there. Things are in balance and I don't want to upset that balance.

You should try to wade in there with a roll of masking tape (or that blue painter's tape) anyway and pull the eggs off. Even if you stomp a plant or two, if you can see alot of egg clusters, there are more that you can't see, and it's going to be bad later. Bring a walking stick to balance yourself, or something~

That said, plant buckwheat. It may not help much with the coming hatch, but maybe later & certainly over a season or two. The Tachinid flies that you attract with buckwheat will show up on their own & do their thing. Tachinid flies are a squash bug parasitoid, they eat the buckwheat nectar, but they lay their eggs on the squash bugs, and their larvae drill in. When the maggots mature, they break out of the squash bug, leaving an empty shell behind. Finding those means the system is working. (No spraying nuthin' though- it'll defeat the method.) I have also seen them attack the nymphs too.

Buckwheat is cheap, germinates & grows super fast, and sometimes you can get it at local feed stores or Agways. Sow it in good sized patches near your pumpkins & squashes.

I love the Golden Digger too. Plant some leeks & let them go, they love second year leek flower heads. (Which look cool too.) Their second favorite plant for nectar is the native orange milkweed.

http://www.cirrusimage.com/flies_trichopoda.htm

[Tjlance1]

Originally Posted by nedwina

You should try to wade in there with a roll of masking tape (or that blue painter's tape) anyway and pull the eggs off. Even if you stomp a plant or two, if you can see alot of egg clusters, there are more that you can't see, and it's going to be bad later. Bring a walking stick to balance yourself, or something~

That said, plant buckwheat. It may not help much with the coming hatch, but maybe later & certainly over a season or two. The Tachinid flies that you attract with buckwheat will show up on their own & do their thing. Tachinid flies are a squash bug parasitoid, they eat the buckwheat nectar, but they lay their eggs on the squash bugs, and their larvae drill in. When the maggots mature, they break out of the squash bug, leaving an empty shell behind. Finding those means the system is working. (No spraying nuthin' though- it'll defeat the method.) I have also seen them attack the nymphs too.

Buckwheat is cheap, germinates & grows super fast, and sometimes you can get it at local feed stores or Agways. Sow it in good sized patches near your pumpkins & squashes.

I love the Golden Digger too. Plant some leeks & let them go, they love second year leek flower heads. (Which look cool too.) Their second favorite plant for nectar is the native orange milkweed.

http://www.cirrusimage.com/flies_trichopoda.htm

Thnak you for the advice! I didn't realize about buckwheat! I will do that next year. Something strange the last couple days though. I have not seen any squash bugs in the last two days.I usually see enough to be able to pick them up and drop them in soapy water. Is that normal? I picked off well over a thousand eggs, I know there are more, but at least its a start and I believe the population is in check.

[Little Minnie]

They are dying from insecticidal oil I had from long ago. But the ones that survive will hide when you come back around. I turned over a leaf and found a refuge of them. So I sprayed! They died. I hate how oddly intelligent they are, like little aliens.

[nedwina]

Originally Posted by Tjlance1

Thnak you for the advice! I didn't realize about buckwheat! I will do that next year. Something strange the last couple days though. I have not seen any squash bugs in the last two days.I usually see enough to be able to pick them up and drop them in soapy water. Is that normal? I picked off well over a thousand eggs, I know there are more, but at least its a start and I believe the population is in check.

Squash bug life cycle timing: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/...squash_bug.htm

So if you missed some eggs, you'll see nymphs soon, and adults in 33 days or so.

It's hard to say when the next round will be, (but there will be a Round Two, LOL.) so keep looking and certainly kill any nymphs you find. The adults like to hide, so look under vines and loose rocks, etc. They'll keep mating & laying eggs until frost, so after the harvest, pull up & either burn or send to the dump the dead vines. Don't just heave them into the compost- the surviving adults will overwinter in that nice warm place and come out next spring to start again. I have found overwintering squash bugs in my garage, basement, porch, etc.

[Tjlance1]

I have been seeing less and less of the adult squash bugs, many of the eggs have hatched, but have not noticed any increase in leaf damage and for some reason they have not gone after the butternut squash at all.... the yellow squash and pumpkins are the most effected. I am not too worried about the pum[kins cause the ones we have are already starting to turn...I know, very early, but can't fight nature! The squashes seem to be able to handle the infestation, tho it's not severe. I know th e squash bugs will hide for the winter. Is there anything I can do in the fall that will help?

[nedwina]

Originally Posted by Tjlance1

I have been seeing less and less of the adult squash bugs, many of the eggs have hatched, but have not noticed any increase in leaf damage and for some reason they have not gone after the butternut squash at all.... the yellow squash and pumpkins are the most effected. I am not too worried about the pum[kins cause the ones we have are already starting to turn...I know, very early, but can't fight nature! The squashes seem to be able to handle the infestation, tho it's not severe. I know th e squash bugs will hide for the winter. Is there anything I can do in the fall that will help?

One thing I did after harvest time was to leave a few squash in the field next to buckets of water. Every afternoon I'd go dunk & drown the ones that were hanging out on the squash. Which was quite a few, ick! Add a bit of soap to break the surface tension too~ and dump the buckets frequently. Dead squash bug soup stinks.

[Tjlance1]

I have seen the nymphs...egads!! they are everywhere!!! Fortunate or not, the pumpkins are almost ready to pick and the squash really could careless about the squash bugs..I am more worried about next spring at this point. I know they hide in the soil.. We will till the garden come october, november...is there anything I can do to cut down on the population that won't harm the lil ecosystem that's developed in the garden?