My neighbor decided that this year he was going to plant a veggie garden and despite some newbie mistakes, he's actually done pretty well although... his squash plants (both yellow and zucchini) are experiencing complete misery by being overrun with squash bugs. I've offered experience and remedies from when I used to have a veggie garden but he's reluctant to use anything that even smacks of possible pesticide use (which is to his credit I suppose).
They've tried diatomaceous earth which had nearly zero effect and soapy water spray which worked only slightly better. Hand picking apparently worked but I believe the 'EWWWWW' factor nipped that one in the bud early on...
I'll be glad to pass on more remedies if you've had any success with something in your own garden for the problem.
Thanks
Steve
Squash bug problems
Shop vac. Put a piece of pantyhose over the intake. After vacuuming the plants, remove the pantyhose and tie off with a twist tie. Place into a bucket of soapy water.
Or...
Spray plants weekly with a combination of 1 oz each: Murphy's Oil Soap (or Castille Soap), liquid molasses, liquid fish emulsion, and compost tea.
If he looks under the leaves for the eggs or nymphs, they can be picked up using a pet lint roller or a loop of duct tape.
Thanks for the information Stephanie. I'll pass it along to the neighbor, especially the shop vac idea which is an interesting new approach to an old pest problem.
Thanks again
Steve