Diatomaceous Earth for squash borer ?

OK -- so the borers found my squash --- can I sprinkle some Diatomaceous Earth on the stems to get rid of them ?

Nope! Gotta cut the stem open and pull out the worm. You can try to save it by tying a piece of panty hose over the incision. I did this to my zucchini & it lived.

I shoot BT, bacillus thuringiensis, above the borer hole, because the worms bore and move upwards, with a large gauge syringe. One or two ccs and then the liquid starts leaking out. Feed and seeds sell the syringes or a benevolent vet might give you one. Oral irrigation syringes also work. No trauma to the plant. I do this once every two weeks as a damage preventative on the spring plants as borers are terrible here in May/June. They hatch out of the soil, crawl up and bore. Though borers are now not a problem, dealing with pickleworm down here is a nightmare

I stopped using diatomaceous earth years ago after reading that, though organic, it stays in the soil and affects earthworms and other beneficials for many years.

Ahhhhhhh.... OK -- so I have my work cut out for me then. I think we've got an Exacto Knife around somewhere....but I am interested in the BT - syringe procedure too...seems a little easier...although I'll have to figure out where to get some BT (bacillus thuringiensis).

My plants are SO HEALTHY looking...and then I pull apart the leaves revealing their root stalk that is just about eaten away. Even 'rolly pollies' seem to be invading the stem.

You can get Bt at many feed stores.

Diatomaceous Earth will not harm warm-blooded animals or earthworms
Earthworm farmers use it to treat their worm beds for parasites, fungus gnat larva etc. Earth worms are structurally different from insects in that they can actually digest particles of DE. The particles are then eliminated in their castings.

There are two kinds of Bacillus thuringiensis, one is for caterpillars, the other mosquito larvae - they are not interchangeable.

Well, thanks Les and Honey for the added info. I knew about the two types of Bt, but not the worm factoids on the diatomaceous earth. Also related to this topic, can you comment on the use of swimming pool d.e.? I've known gardeners who buy this product for garden use but read that it is not safe for gardens. Is that so? And while I'm picking brains...we used to randomly broadcast d.e. in our veggie garden in the eighties and then read that one should be wearing a mask to avoid inhaling the particulate. Do you agree?
Laurel

Swimming pool DE is not suitable at all. It's highly refined and different. Yes a mask is a good idea to avoid breathing any kind of dust, although i have breathed DE dust at times and it caused a little phlegm in the lungs to be expectorated. It's not toxic. Someone with lung problems should be more cautious. DE is used in animal feed to eliminate parasites. Human consumption is common for the same benefits (food grade DE).

A garden duster is useful. A thin slurry can be applied with a pump sprayer, although my hand-held sprayer tends to clog up unless shaken frequently. DE's a safe way to eliminate Fire Ants!, and pill-bugs.

Dust when blooms are closed to avoid harm to Bees and pollinators.

Remember, it can kill the good along with the bad, such as lady bugs. So think about the effects before indiscriminate use.

HAPPY GARDENING!

Les

I've never tried this, but I think it's a marvelous idea for dispensing DE without one of those hand pump things. Put some DE in an old sock, then shake it (or use a stick or something similar to "beat" the sock) over the area you're applying the DE on. It'll distribute a fine powder amount. If you can see the DE, you've applied too much.

So.... to summarize:

It's OK to use [garden / food grade ] DE for the 'pill bugs / rolly polies' -- but wear a mask and do NOT apply it early in the morning when the blooms are open because it can harm the the bees.


If I'm trying to get rid of the squash borer by injecting BT I want to use the caterpillar kind of BT.

Did I get this correct ??

Exactly!