I hate those guys! If you can, cover your plants with floating row cover until they start to flower. I have found once the plants are big enough, they can withstand the damage. I check the plants for eggs, and scrape them off. I also hand-pick the bugs off, and squish them. (YUK) A last result is to spray vege pharm - a product you can find at pharmsolutions.com. Hope that helps!

SBs are a difficult pest to control as adults. One very important control method is to clean the garden of all plant debris in the fall. The over wintering adults live under plant debris, rocks, clumps of soil, in wood piles, under patio stones, etc. You get the idea, so by eliminating these place you will reduce next year population.

You can use this hiding behavior to control the bugs by placing a board or others heavy flat surfaced item near the plants. The bugs will collect there and you can expose them and "squash them" or place them in soapy water thus reducing the next generation's size. If you want more info go to: and search 'squash bug'.

Im ganna try planting nasturtiums and radishes to keep them away also margolds are suppose to help let yal know later if it works .

I had a bunch of squash bugs on some Suyo Long cucumber vines last summer. I hand picked them off. They always move around the vine to hide themselves. I picked them off 1-2 times a day.

Jon

Im ganna try planting nasturtiums and radishes to keep them away also margolds are suppose to help let yal know later if it works

I recommend having a backup plan ;)

The peak time for squash bugs in zone 5 is May. Delay planting until after the peak time; using this method you need to check the days to maturity for the varieties you choose to make sure they reach harvest before the first frost. You might give this a try with a few of your plants and compare success to plants put in the garden at your regular planting time.

Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com