Hi everyone~
My husband threw a few pumpkins in a raised bed that we never finished last fall. The bed was filled with ash from our wood stove, grass clippings and weeds. And low and behold we have pumpkins!!! But now our cute little pumpkins have some kind of eggs on the under sides of the leaves!! How do I get rid of these little critters without using a pesticide? Thanks for all your help!!!
I know NOTHING about your problem - just thought the eggs were cool looking.. but being the google freak that I am ... here is what I found -
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/pumpkin.html#insprob
Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are the major pest for most squash and pumpkin growers. Market gardener and author Steve Salt writes:
Year in and year out, . . . the Public Enemy Number One of pumpkins (on my farm at least)—causing losses greater than rots, frost, and drought combined—is the squash bug. These pungently odoriferous gray-brown insects lay masses of red-brown eggs on leaves and stems in early midsummer. The eggs hatch into hordes of tiny pale gray nymphs which fan out through the pumpkin patch, sucking sap and (some scientists speculate) possibly injecting a poison into the plants. Plants attacked by even a few squash-bug nymphs wither, and the leaves curl and turn a crispy texture with a characteristic bronze color. Immature fruits on affected plants cease development, and frequently rot or fall prey to cucumber beetle predation. Plants fail to recover even after the nymphs move on in search of fresh victims. Losses can be severe; badly infested fields look like someone has gone through the patch with a flame-thrower
Knock off the eggs and squish em! and then just to be sure find an organic bug spray that will kill squash bugs and cucumber beetles. im batteling cucumber beetles on my big max pumpkins right now, i think im winning the war, atleast i hope.
Andrew
They are the eggs of squash bugs. Tear off the part of the leaf they are one and throw it away in the outgoing trash. Easiest way to get rid of them is to keep a lookout for the eggs, usually on the underside of the leaves but sometimes on the top side, too. When you find an actual bug, grab it and squash it. If you spray the plant leaves with water, the bugs will come up to the top and be easier to find/catch.
If you had a lot of plants, such as on a farm or were growing them for sale, you might need to get something to spray for them. But with a few home-grown plants, it is easier to just catch 'em and squash 'em. Then you get to say, "Aha, gotcha you little creep" as you squash each one. LOL.
Karen
Those little buggers have been destroying my squash for 3 years. They haven't gotten them yet this year but I've been de-larvae-ing my plants every other day. The problem is when they hatch (can't link sorry but here's the page www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef314.asp)the nymphs inject a bacteria which will kill your plants. I've pulled and destroyed 3 plants thus far. If I see any hatchlings I scream, cuss( sad but true...:/) and squash them, amputating the leaf they were munching in the process. Dawn dish soap in water has been repelling them just enough that I'm able to stay ahead - I just put it on after the bees go in the morning. They have started getting smarter and laying eggs on the blooms or next door on my cabbage. Neem oil supposedly works as an organic spray and can be found at Wally World.
Sorry all for the rant but these have become my personal crusade
I just got back from destroying the eggs and the bugs. I'm spraying the bugs with water and castile organic soap. It was so funny because I am a very peaceful person and the whole time I'm saying to myself that THIS IS WAR little buggies!!! As I am walking in the house I am so surprised by my thoughts. But then I come inside to check my faithful gardening companions about my problem and I can't stop laughing because all of you reassure me that my thoughts are normal. Thank you everyone for keeping my mental status in check along with these terrible little bugs!!!
rachel
you should have heard what i was saying about the cucumber beetles that were attacing my pumpkins LOL.
LOL, rachel. If nothing else it's a good way to get rid of your aggressions harmlessly! Do keep after them every single day because it's truly amazing how resourceful they are at making a come back. Soapy water works for aphids, too. My grandmother always poured her dishpan water on her roses.
Karen
Cucumber beetles-Squash bugs!!! Evil-pure Evil......
