Good luck but if the damage is already done and apparent it may be too late for BT to work. The larvae has to eat it. Once he tunnels into the stem he has no contact with it.

Dave

Thanks Dave -- I found that out in a phone call to my local extension office. The damage was done today 'cause it wasn't there yesterday. I dug that little worm out & cut him in half (grim satisfaction). I covered the stem with moist garden soil & we will see if it lives. I did spray Sevin on the base of it & my remaining 5 squash (was EXTREMELY careful to only cover the stems & the bees are already back in their hives where I live). Now the theme of my garden is "As Organic As Possible".

Oh -- and I interrupted 2 squash bugs having "sexy time". They now sleep with the fishes too! LOL

Oh -- and I interrupted 2 squash bugs having "sexy time". They now sleep with the fishes too! LOL

Way to go! Best place for them. :)

Dave

Burying the stem worked for me last year with winter squash--good luck!

I ended up culling 1 zucchini & 2 yellow straight neck squash plants. I had to do a lot of damage to get the borer out of the stems & they were right @ the base of the plants. I managed to save a squash because I saw the borer burrowing into it (it was 2/3 the way in). I pulled it out with tweezers. Hopefully the Sevin I sprayed on the stems will kill any remaining borers. I have learned a lesson - next year I'm going to facilitate the squash putting down more roots along the stem by burying them while they're growing. I also know when to start looking for the adult moths.

Today I picked up two yellow crook neck seedlings, a habanero pepper and a cucumber (no one in the family likes it but me). I put the cucumber where a Roma tomato was that I had to pull out because of TSWV. I put a trellis beside it & gonna' go vertical with it.