Is it ever too early to start treating for squash bugs?

I planted my squash seedlings today. I might be jumping the gun but already I am worrying about losing my plants to the dreaded squash bug, as has happened to me so many times in the past. Is there anything that can be done organically to defeat or deter this menace? I know the normal treatments so I am looking for anything new or unique that has worked for others

I have not transplanted my squash yet.
I am growing them in pots untill they are a little bigger ... so the monster pillbugs cannot eat them.
This year I am trying something new: I am going to put some SULFUR in the planting hole.
Somebody in other posts said that will help with the Squash Vine BorerS ... maybe also with the Squash Bugs.
This year I am planting my squashes in my front yard ... ah ah ... I hope HOA will not complain. If grown good the plants are very decorative, I think ....
The reason is that I don't want to give them precious space in my veggie patch ... because I always lose the plants late in the summer with small production due to the Squash monster Vine Borers.

Once you see the frass the borers leave you can slit the vine open, remove the little b@$t@^&s, and tape the vine back up. Oh, how I hate those things.

done that ... but they still come back ...

Today I attended a class on Organic Pest Control at Northaven Gardens. My single mission was to ask the instructor, Christine, when and how to treat for squash bugs and squash vine borers. Well, mission accomplished!

For the bugs, she said to start spraying the product Spinosad (http://www.livingwithbugs.com/spinosad.html) beginning in mid to late May, being sure to spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves. However, due to my paranoia over squash bugs, as mentioned in my first post, I may start spraying my plants tomorrow.

As far as the squash vine borer, when you start seeing their excrement (is that the same as frass?) on the stems of the plant, at that spot you inject the Spinosad into the stem. If it’s that easy, why haven’t I been doing this in the past?

I got to mention that last year we had a long running thread on worst garden mistakes /Trombone Zuchinni and the squash vine borers did not bother the trombone but it did get some damage from the Blister bettles but I must also add that it was not as good eating as some other varieties ..Tsxas Tam recomended the Zephyr variety a few years ago and it stands up well to the borers and is FINE eating...

We've injected, cut & wrapped, sprayed and NOTHING works! I have not tried row covers, though. That will be our next attempt at fighting off the SVB and squash bugs.

Now I just need to find a treatment for leaf footed bugs. Those things give me the creeps!

I love the classes at NHG by Christine. She is such a nice gal !!
Dream on ... Spinosad ... blah blah ... bugs will come anyway here in my garden ...
This year I will plant my zucchini in the front yard ...

Leaf footed bugs creep me out too ... especially when I found a mass of the orange babies ....
I just squeeze them ... they are very fast when they are baby, but very slow when they are adult.
This year I put a BAT house by the veggie garden and also I moved my Purple martin house near the patch ... I hope they will take care of those monsters.

Anyway ... I will try to put some SULFUR in the squash planting holes this time.

Good luck !

That sulphur in the planting hole just might work I pondered what possible benefits there could be from this and it just might alter the Ph value of the plant enough to make it "not so tasty " to the bugs if bugs can taste ..And I do not know whether they can or not ..But do give the Zephyr squash a try available from Johhny's Selected Seedes and from Gurney's they be the best eating squash I have grown

My best way to deter the squash bugs (and any other mobster that flies) is to use remay (row cover).

I invested in several lengths of 1/2" PVC pipe (8' length will do) bend them into an inverted "U" shape, push them into the soil over the squash plants, and cover them with remay. I hold the remay in place with pieces of 3/4" PVC cut into 1/4" wide bands, then remove a section so you can "pop" it over the remay/PVC hoop to hold the remay in place. Check ~every several days, when the plants begin to flower, remove the remay and 99% of the battle is won!
Jerry

THANKS for sharing your way of making PVC bands to hold the remay in place. That's the best idea I've seen because the clips from the office supply store are really a pain to use. And I don't know why I didn't think of that myself because I'm a quilter and DH made the same type PVC bands for me to use when rolling a big quilt to machine quilt. Just never thought about it when we were struggling to hold freeze cover in place during the ice storm a couple months ago.

LOL Yes, i've been using this technique for many years. (you know what they say: neccesity is the mother of invention..)

I also work at a church "donation" garden, and have been trying to convince the others to invest in agribond, but the budget is thin..Several other techniques I use have been accepted (after PROVING that they work, of course ;) ) I'll keep chisling away till we get a rythem though...
Jerry

I am a little confused. Is row cover also known as remay the same material as frost cloth, and is agribond still a different material? And do row covers help with squash bugs and squash vine borers? I am starting the get the picture that using row covers is about the best bet in deterring the squash bug so I need to get mine in place once I know what material to use. I still have a few squash and zucchini transplants to put out so I will also try the “sulphur in the hole before planting” treatment. I am open to about anything short of an animal sacrifice to the squash gods.

hrp50: Here's the best explaination I can give you.

"row cover" can be either a plastic sheeting, or spun-fiber material.
"frost cloth" is typically a spun-fiber material, but is made in various thicknesses, each giving a different protection level. (i.e. "protection to 28 degrees)
"Remay", and "agribond" are light weight spun- fiber materials, designed more for bug protection than frost protection. (although... it does offer a few degrees of protection)

Remay, and Agribond are the manufacturer names for their product. This stuff is a little pricey (my opinion), but can last for several years if cared for.
Here's a link to one of the many places that carries it.
http://texasgardener.com/Store/Products/productlisting.aspx?id=3
Johnnys selected seeds also carries it. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

Hope this helps.
Jerry

Thanks Jerry, you have cleared up my confusion.