Squash bugs and svb beware-your days are numbered

Hummmm! Gotta do some reading on those. Thanks to both for the info.

Ah hah! I've seen that Purdy Moth (Diaphania nitidalis) with its wagging pom pom tail before. Now, I know to shoooo the purdy thing off from my veggies. Thanks again all for sharing your knowledge and experience with me.

don' have borers or or squash bugs but do have a black Aphid that is just a pain in my but seems to like the cucurbits best but that is not the only plant it is getting on

I would take Aphids over Squash Vine Borers any day.

Update on my battle of the SVB, et al: By last fall I was completely fed up with the squash bugs and borers ruining my squash crops as well as the flea beetles destroying my eggplants. So I purchased a 4' x 4' tall pest control pop-up tent on sale. It has been the best investment!! I also bought some concrete ladders which bend easily and fit into the tent for my parthenocapic Diva cucumbers to grow on, planted 6 eggplants and sowed 4 mounds of Partenon squash. Neither the squash nor the cucumber needed any pollination. Well the tent gets a little warmer than I anticipated so the cucumber seedlings dried up twice and I think got taken out by slugs so I had to use Sluggo in the beginning. The eggplant are doing so-so but I will amend the soil much more for next year. The squash is a huge success. I have 4 robust plants and they are all giving me nice squash and are clean as a whistle in regard to bugs!! The eggplants have a few flea beetles that were probably already in the ground. Next year I will grow just the squash and maybe try the cucumbers again. Here is the link: http://www.gardeners.com/Tall-Pest-Control-Pop-Ups/40-228RS,default,pd.html?SC=YNA7200A It is not on sale yet but look for it as the summer comes to an end!!

Hurray for your success on the squash!

My zucchini and squash are producing well but I do have to battle with SVB. Basicly I start new plants often, spray often with Neem. Trying to get the eggs. And I have been injecting my plants with the Spinosad.

Tulle...

Gymgirl,
I use a mosquito netting and bridal netting in the beginning for both the eggplants and squash but the flea beetles still manage to get in. I think the eggs are in the soil so covering them only partially helps. I have other squash not in the tent and so far so good but they get so huge that I have to remove the fabric covers at some point. While the SVB are not as much of a problem, the squash bugs can be impossible. In the tent I avoid all those problems but then am limited to growing only the parthenocarpic varieties of squash. At least I have discovered that I do get produce and that's a big plus if the outside ones fail!!

newyorkrita, your eggplants are awesome! Congratulations!! I am finally getting some but my plants don't look as healthy - flea beetles make them look ugly even though most are surviving the onslaught. We have been getting a lot of rain so spraying inbetween has been a challenge. I sprayed before with the Bonner's Peppermint Castile Soap and that seemed to work for a couple of days. Will try again after the rains!

gardadore, thanks for the complement on the eggplants. As I have said, this is my first year growing them so I really didn't know what to expect.

Here is a zucchini, 4 yellow squash and an eggplant I picked yesterday. In spite of the war against SVB the zucchini and squash are pumping out the fruit.

What variety of squash is he green one in front? All looking good!

Question:

How are you processing your squash and zukes for freezer storage?

Also, how do you do squash casseroles for the freezer? Are they fully or only partially cooked when you freeze them?

Thanks!

Uh, I sure could use a good squash casserole recipe...LOL!

Ironic that it turned out to be a Cavilli since I was looking up other potential parthenocarpic varieties today and thought that would be a great one to try! Glad to hear you like it so much. It does appear to be more prolific than the Partenon so I will definitely add it to next year's list along with the Partenon for a comparison. I found the Cavilli at Scheepers
http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/cgi-bin/catview.cgi?_fn=Product&_category=211
but will check out Gourmetseed as well. I have always been satisfied with Scheepers.
I am very happy with the Partenon so far.
I wish someone would develop a parthocarpic yellow one as well!!
Thanks for the info!

Do get it, you will like it.

Raining slightly this morning but I pulled up three of my squash. Two Buckingham yellow zucchini plants which just don't look thrifty at this point. Not my favorites anyway, might not be returned next year. And one of the Golden Egg yellow squash. I had not intended to pull that Golden Egg but had no choice. The stem completely broke and you could see why what with the SVB eaten center stem.

I do have some yellow squash seedlings of one called Safron. So I will plant those out in the pots and reuse them. Those were the two types of yellow squash seeds I bought this spring from Burpee, Safron and Golden Egg. I just love the Golden Egg so want to try out the Safron also.

I still have some old seeds of Saffron from several years ago. It was a very nice zucchini but nowadays I use Sebring from Fedco for yellow squash instead.

Good to know that Safron is a good one. I have so many seeds left in my envelopes of Golden Egg and Safron that I will be growing these same two types for yellow squash next year. But I might try a crookneck also next year. We will see.

Ladies and Gents. Bad news on the garden gate for me this morning! :(( I just found evident of SVB damage on my melon's vine. It's affecting one of my melon's secondary terminal branch. If I were to cut off the affected area, would that help the larvae from spreading? I suppose it would. But, using neem oil on the plants, would that harm the bees as well? Also, temp. is picking up here, I learned that we need to avoid using neem oil in extreme heat condition. Your thought please.

Were did you see evidence of SVB?. Wilted leaves could be any numnber of things. I would suspect cucumber beetles first off.

Yes, neem will harm bees, but if you apply to the plant and not the blooms, and do it when the bees are not flying, the changes of collateral damage are very small.

I agree with Rita, though -- I don't see the damage you are referring to in the pictures. Look for an entry wound. If you do find a borer, yes, cutting off the affected part of the plant will prevent that particular borer from tunneling any further. This is one case where you kill the borer and destroy the affected part of the plant, or place in a plastic bag and in the trash.

Rita and Nicole, I saw a hole at the leave node juncture, approximately 5 nodes up from a terminal branch. There are exudates (greenish of chewed up matters, and perhaps frass) at that point. The leaves below the wound are apparently wilted because nutrients can't get to that area.

I saw cucumber beetles actively chewing at the leaves and flower petals, but haven't seen them attacking the vine itself. I did find tiny holes on my melon fruits though.

Thanks to both for your responses. I've bagged some damaged leaves, vines, and fruits and I am heading out to my local County extension office for additional help.

Yes, cut the affected stem and then look for the borer inside.

My zucchini had to be torn out due to SVB damage, but the cushaw has grown 50' in both directions and is now almost to the second story window to boot. I can't figure out how to pull it out of its "rigging" wiout disturbing the wasps that have seemed to make their home underneath it, though! I've found all kinds of critters in the cushaw leaves, but it seems to be going stronger every day. I'm trimming it back as much as I can, but it just seems to grow more every day. The recent heat and sun and lack of rain isn't bumming it out a bit.

I have a few cucumbers still trying to make it, but they seem to have downy mildew on the lower leaves. :(

I sure hope this cushaw tastes good! At least it's shading the side of the house in the meantime. :)

This message was edited Aug 5, 2013 1:14 PM

I read somewhere that a spritz of ANY kind of milk will take care of the mildew...

Thanks, Linda! I'm hoping something will help, I'll try the milk solution in the morning. Too hot out now for milk to go anywhere!

YUCK TO THE PICKLEWORMS.

When does the first SVB arrive in Texas?
In this article I found out at the BEGINNING of MAY. Is it correct?
http://ediblesanmarcos.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/squash-bug-and-squash-vine-borer-m.pdf

This year I am growing squash/zucchini again, giving them a prime real state location on my veggie garden.
I covered them with the Agribon insect barrier.
So far so good.
I am harvesting the male flowers already.

Do you think it will be safe to keep them uncovered maybe until mid April and then cover again?
or will it be too risky? just in case the SVB is earlier ...

I have no idea when they actually arrive but I would think it would be different for every area, TX is a big state! Lol I know they over winter in the soil so some probably over wintered in mine. I keep mine covered in tulle it's so easy I'd be afraid not to do it.