squash bugs are evil

Lcottomsvcs · April 21, 2012

After reading the thread started by Scottinatlanta about SVB, I was wondering if anyone has had success with organic controls for squash bugs. Last year was a bad garden year in Indiana anyway due to the dry weather. I planted butternuts, and with regular watering and feeding they took off nicely. Soon I had decent sized immature squash. Then came the squash bugs. It looked like a squashbug family reunion in my butternuts. I hand picked the bugs. I squished the eggs. Still they kept coming. Soon all of the vines were a wilted tangle and my immature squash never matured.

I would really like to be ready for the evil onslaught this year. Any help would be super welcome.

I am interested in organic controls because I am a beekeeper, and don't want to hurt my bees.

biscgolf · April 21, 2012

nothing organic controls squash bugs- they are the spawn of the devil.

trap crops of blue hubbard squash and growing buckwheat nearby to attract predator wasps can help to a degree. row covers too.

i have heard scholars recommend pyganic but have had no first hand success with it. hell, sevin dust doesn't really work very well on them either...

cleaning up absolutely everything in the area pre-winter is the biggest thing you can do to help in my experience.

i have reached the point where i am staggering 3 or 4 plantings of zucchini a year and pulling the plants up and burning them when the evil little suckers show themselves. i have basically given up on yellow squash entirely and would stop growing zukes commercially if the blossoms weren't one of my most valuable crops.

Tracydr · April 21, 2012

Start DE early. Dust the plants and dirt, keep it white. Reapply if it gets wet.

biscgolf · April 21, 2012

DE and bees may not mix well...

Lcottomsvcs · April 21, 2012

Tracydr, I just read an article at http://www.wormfarmingrevealed.com/d...-and-bees.html that suggests that DE will not harm bees if used in the early morning or late evening. This sounds promising.

Biscgolf, I agree, they are the spawn of the devil. I observed last year that Sevin doesn't work, and I was using out of desperation ( with alot of attached guilt).

I have done quite a bit of internet research, and every site (such as Purdue's Extension) is recommending chemical use. This is not a good option for me, not only because of the bees. I am a teacher, and one class I teach is Environmental Science. In this class we discuss the overuse of pesticides and herbicides in the United States, and the virtues of organic gardening. For the sake of my students, I need to practice what I preach.

feldon30 · April 22, 2012

Depending on the number of plants, if you can do a daily inspection of all fruit and use a Dustbuster or other handheld vacuum to suck up any that you find, that will keep the population under control. Anywhere that 2 plants are growing towards one another and growing dense foliage, get in there with some shears and thin it out a bit. Fruitworms and Stinkbugs alike love dense thickets of foliage.

And consider a trap crop of Millet.

Otherwise, yeah it's time to break out the non-organic products.

sicily · April 22, 2012

I like the Dustbuster and vacuum idea. I grow squash, melons, and other squash bug loving crops in a community garden plot. I'm organic because of my bees and hummingbirds and beliefs. I wind up not spraying in the community plot anyway. It just seems easier seeing the vermin else where. I have no solution, just wanted to commiserate. I have not tried Millet, I'll give that a try at the community plot. My bees are busy with honey production with the locust blooming, time for second supers. Good luck with the squash bugs, come visit if you are in Indy.

Lcottomsvcs · April 22, 2012

I think that using a dustbuster to suck up squash bugs would be gratifying! Thank you all for your suggestions!

ScottinAtlanta · April 22, 2012

Good luck to everyone. I am going to wipe the stems and leaves with liquid BTK this year. I assume that I will lose eventually, but if i can get one crop of yellow squash and cucumbers, I will take that as a win. Last year, I didn't get any.

Kazfam · April 23, 2012

I'm going to try orange oil - I read about it here regarding squash bug prevention:

Another option, instead of using something toxic, is to treat the plants with diluted orange oil. We have done this with great success. Last year, we didn't know about squash bugs until they had practically destroyed our both our yellow squash and our zucchini. My husband started applying orange oil each evening and many of the plants turned around. If you want to try this, buy orange oil or D-limonene (you can get it at Redenta's as well as other places) and use 2 oz. per gallon of water. Pour the mixture on the center of the plant, at the base, where the squash bugs hang out.

Another tip, about catching the bugs alive and squashing them, go out and inspect your plants early in the morning when you can. They are moving around then and you can often can and squish them and/or the nymphs.

This year, we started early, and my husband has even treated the mulch around the plants (we make our own orange oil, so it makes doing this cost effective). Squash bugs -- and others in the "shield-shaped" bugs species -- overwinter in leaves, mulch, etc.

So far, so good. Lots of squash already and much more which should be ready in the coming days. http://northtexasvegetablegardeners....hp?topic=218.0

Here is some info also:

My suggestion would be to skip the Garrett Juice and just use 2 oz. orange oil per gallon of water and do it every day. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/newforum/r...gs-t13773.html

Foliar Solution: Mix 2 oz. per gallon of water. Diluted solution acts as an insect control when applied to plant foliage using a pump sprayer. Apply during the cooler part of the day to prevent burning of plant foliage.

Soil Drench: Mix 2 oz. per gallon of water. Diluted solution may be poured directly on soil as a natural control for a variety of mound dwelling insects.

Orange Oil is available commercially, or you can make your own:
Put a bunch of citrus peelings in a container and cover them with water.
Let them sit for a couple of days, then strain off the liquid. You can extract more oil by simmering the peelings.
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Orange-Oil_vq1369.htm

Here is a recipe: How to Make Orange Oil
http://www.ehow.com/how_4868833_make-orange-oil.html

Lcottomsvcs · April 23, 2012

I found several sites which sell bulk orange oil, at about $18.00 for 16oz. This would make several gallons of spray. We have already tried orange oil for flea spray on the dogs in the past, it worked pretty well ( as well as anything else). I am comfortable with the idea of using this around the bees, so long as the flowers are not sprayed.

Ruth_10 · April 23, 2012

I gave up planting winter squash because of the squash bugs. Broke my heart too many times.

I can usually get some cucumbers and zucchini, but I have to do succession plantings to try to hit a window between squash bug generations.

RobinB · April 24, 2012

I am going to try covering mine with a lightweight row cover this year, but I'm not sure about pollination. I usually overcompensate and plant way too many squash plants in different areas of the yard, but the little devils always end up killing all my plants. Still I keep trying. I like the orange oil idea. I guess if you made your own you should probably try to find organic oranges? I have had some limited success with those pyrethrin sprays (Pyola from Gardener's Supply). Eventually the bugs win though.

Tracydr · April 24, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruth_10

I gave up planting winter squash because of the squash bugs. Broke my heart too many times.

I can usually get some cucumbers and zucchini, but I have to do succession plantings to try to hit a window between squash bug generations.

Have you tried cushaw?

Tracydr · April 24, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinB

I am going to try covering mine with a lightweight row cover this year, but I'm not sure about pollination. I usually overcompensate and plant way too many squash plants in different areas of the yard, but the little devils always end up killing all my plants. Still I keep trying. I like the orange oil idea. I guess if you made your own you should probably try to find organic oranges? I have had some limited success with those pyrethrin sprays (Pyola from Gardener's Supply). Eventually the bugs win though.

Not sure row cover will help with squash bugs. SVBs, yes. Bugs, though, seem to come up from the ground almost.
Have to discerning when reading about treatment for SVBs and bugs because so many people get the two confused and they are totally different.

April 21, 2012	#1
Lcottomsvcs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 123	squash bugs are evil After reading the thread started by Scottinatlanta about SVB, I was wondering if anyone has had success with organic controls for squash bugs. Last year was a bad garden year in Indiana anyway due to the dry weather. I planted butternuts, and with regular watering and feeding they took off nicely. Soon I had decent sized immature squash. Then came the squash bugs. It looked like a squashbug family reunion in my butternuts. I hand picked the bugs. I squished the eggs. Still they kept coming. Soon all of the vines were a wilted tangle and my immature squash never matured. I would really like to be ready for the evil onslaught this year. Any help would be super welcome. I am interested in organic controls because I am a beekeeper, and don't want to hurt my bees. __________________ Gardening is not a rational act. Margaret Atwood

April 21, 2012	#5
Lcottomsvcs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 123	Tracydr, I just read an article at http://www.wormfarmingrevealed.com/d...-and-bees.html that suggests that DE will not harm bees if used in the early morning or late evening. This sounds promising. Biscgolf, I agree, they are the spawn of the devil. I observed last year that Sevin doesn't work, and I was using out of desperation ( with alot of attached guilt). I have done quite a bit of internet research, and every site (such as Purdue's Extension) is recommending chemical use. This is not a good option for me, not only because of the bees. I am a teacher, and one class I teach is Environmental Science. In this class we discuss the overuse of pesticides and herbicides in the United States, and the virtues of organic gardening. For the sake of my students, I need to practice what I preach. __________________ Gardening is not a rational act. Margaret Atwood

April 22, 2012	#6
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Depending on the number of plants, if you can do a daily inspection of all fruit and use a Dustbuster or other handheld vacuum to suck up any that you find, that will keep the population under control. Anywhere that 2 plants are growing towards one another and growing dense foliage, get in there with some shears and thin it out a bit. Fruitworms and Stinkbugs alike love dense thickets of foliage. And consider a trap crop of Millet. Otherwise, yeah it's time to break out the non-organic products. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

April 22, 2012	#8
Lcottomsvcs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 123	I think that using a dustbuster to suck up squash bugs would be gratifying! Thank you all for your suggestions! __________________ Gardening is not a rational act. Margaret Atwood

April 23, 2012	#10
Kazfam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Upstate South Carolina Posts: 113	How about orange oil? I'm going to try orange oil - I read about it here regarding squash bug prevention: Another option, instead of using something toxic, is to treat the plants with diluted orange oil. We have done this with great success. Last year, we didn't know about squash bugs until they had practically destroyed our both our yellow squash and our zucchini. My husband started applying orange oil each evening and many of the plants turned around. If you want to try this, buy orange oil or D-limonene (you can get it at Redenta's as well as other places) and use 2 oz. per gallon of water. Pour the mixture on the center of the plant, at the base, where the squash bugs hang out. Another tip, about catching the bugs alive and squashing them, go out and inspect your plants early in the morning when you can. They are moving around then and you can often can and squish them and/or the nymphs. This year, we started early, and my husband has even treated the mulch around the plants (we make our own orange oil, so it makes doing this cost effective). Squash bugs -- and others in the "shield-shaped" bugs species -- overwinter in leaves, mulch, etc. So far, so good. Lots of squash already and much more which should be ready in the coming days. http://northtexasvegetablegardeners....hp?topic=218.0 Here is some info also: My suggestion would be to skip the Garrett Juice and just use 2 oz. orange oil per gallon of water and do it every day. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/newforum/r...gs-t13773.html Foliar Solution: Mix 2 oz. per gallon of water. Diluted solution acts as an insect control when applied to plant foliage using a pump sprayer. Apply during the cooler part of the day to prevent burning of plant foliage. Soil Drench: Mix 2 oz. per gallon of water. Diluted solution may be poured directly on soil as a natural control for a variety of mound dwelling insects. Orange Oil is available commercially, or you can make your own: Put a bunch of citrus peelings in a container and cover them with water. Let them sit for a couple of days, then strain off the liquid. You can extract more oil by simmering the peelings. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Orange-Oil_vq1369.htm Here is a recipe: How to Make Orange Oil http://www.ehow.com/how_4868833_make-orange-oil.html

April 21, 2012	#2
biscgolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 353	nothing organic controls squash bugs- they are the spawn of the devil. trap crops of blue hubbard squash and growing buckwheat nearby to attract predator wasps can help to a degree. row covers too. i have heard scholars recommend pyganic but have had no first hand success with it. hell, sevin dust doesn't really work very well on them either... cleaning up absolutely everything in the area pre-winter is the biggest thing you can do to help in my experience. i have reached the point where i am staggering 3 or 4 plantings of zucchini a year and pulling the plants up and burning them when the evil little suckers show themselves. i have basically given up on yellow squash entirely and would stop growing zukes commercially if the blossoms weren't one of my most valuable crops.

April 21, 2012	#3
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Start DE early. Dust the plants and dirt, keep it white. Reapply if it gets wet.

April 22, 2012	#7
sicily Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 192	I like the Dustbuster and vacuum idea. I grow squash, melons, and other squash bug loving crops in a community garden plot. I'm organic because of my bees and hummingbirds and beliefs. I wind up not spraying in the community plot anyway. It just seems easier seeing the vermin else where. I have no solution, just wanted to commiserate. I have not tried Millet, I'll give that a try at the community plot. My bees are busy with honey production with the locust blooming, time for second supers. Good luck with the squash bugs, come visit if you are in Indy.

April 22, 2012	#9
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	Good luck to everyone. I am going to wipe the stems and leaves with liquid BTK this year. I assume that I will lose eventually, but if i can get one crop of yellow squash and cucumbers, I will take that as a win. Last year, I didn't get any.

April 23, 2012	#12
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I gave up planting winter squash because of the squash bugs. Broke my heart too many times. I can usually get some cucumbers and zucchini, but I have to do succession plantings to try to hit a window between squash bug generations. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

April 24, 2012	#13
RobinB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Near Reno, NV Posts: 1,621	I am going to try covering mine with a lightweight row cover this year, but I'm not sure about pollination. I usually overcompensate and plant way too many squash plants in different areas of the yard, but the little devils always end up killing all my plants. Still I keep trying. I like the orange oil idea. I guess if you made your own you should probably try to find organic oranges? I have had some limited success with those pyrethrin sprays (Pyola from Gardener's Supply). Eventually the bugs win though.