ok just kidding, I am zone 6B (central NJ). oops!

Alison

There are several pests that attack squash. Each one requires different controls, so just checking.

There's the squash bug you mention;

There's {{gwi:54972}};

and cucumber beetles.

All three of these pests can completely destroy squash patches, so if they were indeed squash bugs and not the other two, you can Google "squash bug control" to get an idea of how to protect your plants. And maybe somebody here can help you, too.

Daily egg patrol on the underside of the plant leaves is one of the best squash bug controls because it is the nymphs that do the damage, not the adults. Prevent the eggs from hatching and you prevent the damage.

The orange-brown egg clusters are easy to spot and you just wipe them off the leaf or spritz with a mild alcohol solution.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: SB eggs and nymphs photo

You should double-check the prices of lightweight row cover - I had squash borer last year and so I think 12 bucks for 50' of 6' wide row cover well worth the price.

Or check out the fabric store, especially the sales bin.

Squash bugs killed me last year. They apparently come out here (GA) in late June, so I planted early in late April instead of late May like I did last year. The bugs are inevitable, but hopefully I'll get some squash out of the plants before they turn into a problem. It's a race to the finish!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Corner Yard

definitely squash bugs. i remember thinking they were pretty little things when they were purple....LOL. if only i knew!

i'm glad to hear that egg patrol is a good way to go--i'm hoping that will be easier this year since they'll be trellised.

perhaps we'll try the alcohol spritz this time, i felt SO BAD ripping off the eggy leaves last year and i'm sure that didn't help my plants at all!

thanks for the good advice!

I just killed a squash but, at least I think it was one, on one of my basil plants in the raised bed. i had not seen any on my squash yet but obviously they are there.

Now how in the heck is someone suppossed to look on the underside of the leaves?!? The plants are getting thicker every day! I have a lot of blooms and don't want to kill any beneficials. I put sevin at the base of them a few weeks ago but nothing since.

Dave -

You just solved two mysteries for me! I've never had squash bugs damage my plants and was wondering why other people had. I see the adults around. I hand pick the adults and am diligent about removing the eggs. I must be getting all the eggs before they hatch. I thought it was the adult that did the damage.

I also have a heck of a time getting the eggs off and wonder if I'm really squishing them. I can't wait to try your alcohol trick!

Thank you!
Bellatrix

One trick I've heard about, but have not personally tried, for removing eggs without damaging the leaves: masking tape.

I heard about masking tape as well. I will be trying this year, once my squash are in. I'm waiting a little longer this year, to see how that works out for me.

Hmm, would those sticky lint rollers work?

I'll definitely be trying the alcohol spritz. How diluted should it be?

alison43

You may be able to control those squash bugs by killing the eggs and adults constantly, and the alcohol spritz. I've seen the suggested proportions range from 1/2 to 1 cup per quart of water for aphids, and half water, half alcohol for larger pests. It's always suggested you do a test on a leaf and wait two days to see if the leaf remains healthy.

The problem is that squash bugs LOVE squash. I tried to Google a trap crop for those dratted critters to suggest for you to lure them away from your squash, but the only thing I've seen so far suggested as a lure for squash bugs is squash! They seem to prefer Hubbard Squash most of all.

I had heard to wait til June to plant squash seed & it would get past the worst squash bug invasion. The past two years I have planted the seeds the first week in June & -for whatever reason- I had NO squash bug problems! I definately will wait til June again this year as the season is long enough that the plants bear great even planting that late. Hope my luck holds out!

I agree with vieja that timing your planting makes a big difference but first you have to make a note of bug ETA's. It is especially helpful with SVB - another animal all together.

But yes any of the "sticky" things like tape and lint rollers etc. will remove eggs if you just can't bring yourself to finger squish them. ;) I squish, wife uses the 10% alcohol spray. She also has been known to clip out that section of the leaf and stomp on it. ;)

And margocostas - the leaves are large and easy to flip for a quick look. Is it possible your plants are over-crowded? That would make it a bit more difficult. Look at the base of the leaf near the stem/leaf junction. Sevin, especially the dust, kills many beneficials and isn't that effective on SB anyway.

Dave

Thanks for all the tips, everyone..........winter squash is my very, very, very favorite vegetable to grow [and eat!] and the thing I have THE HARDEST time with. If it's not the squash bugs, it's ground hogs or worse, our goats. Yes they got out last year, and where did they go but to my squash plants that I had diligently protected from bugs,[ planted later, wrapped stems with newspaper, sprayed with neem, ect., ect.] They left three Hubbard squash and a couple butternuts, [thanks, guys] that's all we got....I'm gearing up to try again....the masking tape idea sounds brilliant!