Need Help with Squash Bugs

I’m still trying to figure out how to deal organically with squash bugs. (Yes, technically squash is a fruit.) Any suggestions/links are welcome!

Do you mean squash bugs(stinky ones) or squash borers, that kill vines?
Squash bugs are unpleasant, but do not really stop production, you can manually pick them in early morning, especially if you provide some cover for them on the ground to hide under at night. You also can check leaves for their bright eggs and destroy them. For Squash borers there are a lot of approaches, but the best working for me is full cover over the frame and hand pollination.
By the way, there is a separate topic - General Gardening for veggies discussion.

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Squash Borers are always a problem for me. it’s important to check the vines every few days since the damage it quick. When I notice the frass where they entered the vine I split open the vine with a sharp knife and use a piece of solid wire to stab them and feel how far they have traveled up the vine. I then pour or spray peroxide into the split vine. If any are still hiding they will wiggle out since they hate the peroxide. It also seems to help the vine heal. I’ve split the squash vines 9 or 10 inches and they have survived.

Borers are a pain. I have resorted to growing asian zucchini this year in a last ditch effort. They are in the same family as the butternut squashes, moschata iirc…

No borers problem here. I’m talking about the bugs: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/squash-bugs/. I have to find them and then catch them and feed them to the chickens. How do you kill the eggs? The leaves get destroyed, so I assumed they kill the plant as well. If not, I won’t worry about it.

Yeah, that link said, “Young plants are much more susceptible to damage and may die from extensive feeding. Larger, more vigorous plants are more tolerant of feeding damage, although they can also be injured or killed if they severely attacked.”

I just worry about spraying something that may be unhealthy for the squash and anything else nearby, so that’s why I’m wondering if anyone has any organic experience here.

Cover them while they are young. Open when you see female flowers. For the eggs I just smash them right on the leaf holding leaf between fingers

Would you explain what you mean by covering them while they are young?

Thx!

You can use row cover materials or tulle fabric over some temporary frame. If you look at the thread Why do you garden, there are pictures, you will see.

I find that squash bugs don’t show up until after the plants are flowering, so covering does no good

That is possible. They never been a huge problem for me, so I didn’t pay attention. But I guess it all depends on when you plant. I sometimes plant my zucchini’s when some other already flower and produce… Just because I have an empty spot :slight_smile:.

I have had success with borers by planting tatume squash and Butta zucchini seems to keep going also, not sure why they seem to not bother with it.