Traci,
I used Garlic Barrier last year and never had a squash bug. Just one year to go by so far but the first time I can remember I never had one. It is an organic method if you would prefer one. Jay

I don't know of a specific bug site on GW. You can go to name that bug or bugguide.net for photos to use for ID, but then you still have to google to find the best organic recommendations. You could use the ATTRA online info. I've linked it. I read the ATTRA info for a given pest to see what the current recommendations are for organic producers.

Personally, I think I'd try a garlic barrier spray because Jay seemed to have really great results when he used it last year.

If you don't want to buy the Garlic Barrier product at a store, put 2 cloves of garlic in a blender with 1 quart of water and blend. Strain out the solids using a coffee filter, pour into a squirt bottle and thoroughly coat the plants you want to protect. I don't know if a homemade garlic barrier spray is as strong as the one Jay purchased last year. You probably could add more than 2 cloves if you wanted to make it extra strong. As a bonus, you shouldn't have any vampires hanging around in your garden since garlic repels them too. (And I typed that last sentence with a straight face too.)

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: ATTRA Organic Guidelines

This has not been a good year for squash for me. My plants have been loaded with small squash and blooms for the last 2 weeks, but I have not harvested one squash yet. The small squash just fall off or rot. Now the SVB moths are here so I'll try again in the late summer. James

I get tired of fighting those suckers. So, I just start planting succession plantings of squash and then when they get a good start on one plant, I manually and gleefully destroy the whole nest of them, and go on to harvest off the next, as yet unmolested plant or plants.

Maybe that method's not for everyone but it works for me.

Barbara

James, I'm sorry you're having a bad squash year. I'm having a great one...harvesting more than we can eat fresh so have been busy freezing it. I don't always have a great squash year, and I'm sure it is just a matter of time before the squash bugs and squash vine borers seize control of the plants and ruin it for me. I'll use succession plantings to try to win the war, even if I lose a battle here and there.

Dawn

Since we're on the topic of squash, I have a question. I have 4-5 different varieties growing, each putting on tons of blooms but not setting fruit. I've planted these in my flower beds and each squash plant has a huge salvia growing right next to it. I mention the salvia since the bees are frequent visitors. If I remember correctly, I read on one variety (cocozelle?) that some early blooms may fall off but to be patient as squash will eventually set. Are squash plants affected the same way tomatoes are with the heat in that they shut down production so to speak?

Thanks!
Lynn

Thanks for the advice - definitely going to try the garlic barrier. I am going to use Dawn's recipe first to see if I can get by with that. Should I also use this on my watermelon? Funny about the vampires! I may put a bit behind my ears for good measure! Lol. Do I spray it directly on the plants or just around them?

Barbara - your way of dealing with the bugs makes sense, but if I saw a ton of squash bugs at one time devouring a plant, I might have a meltdown. I LOVE all creatures but these bugs just give me the creeps!!!

James - I hope after I get through this I will have a good outcome (like Dawn). I am going to put some more out as I already lost two plants.

Should be an interesting summer!!

Traci

Lynn, most squash will have only male blooms for a week or so before the female blooms start to form. I have seen the opposite when female blossom form with the little squash behind it but they don't get pollinated so the squash falls off. George (macmex) has an excellent thread on hand pollinating squash for seed saving, but it would also be useful if you wanted to give the bees a hand. In that case, you can just forget the taping. I'll go search for the thread. It's a great thread and we review it every year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hand pollinating squash

Traci,

Spray that garlic barrier spray all over everything you want pests to stay away from. I guarantee you it will keep the vampires away too...you see, it is a very efficient spray. I also have a recipe for hot pepper tea...and if you mix hot pepper and garlic together, it repels all kinds of stuff (but you HAVE to wear safety glasses or goggles when spraying because if the pepper tea spray blows back at you and gets in your eyes, it will HURT you).

Lynn,

Look at the blossoms and see if you're getting all males so far. On some varieties, the 'all male' stage seems to last forever. If you have male and female flowers, try hand-pollinating as Carol suggested. It only takes a minute. I hand-pollinate cukes sometimes too because they seem to have pollination issues.

Squash pollination is not affected by heat as far as I know, but if you watch the bees, you'll see they are much less active on cool, cloudy, rainy days and if that's the case, the squash flowers might not get pollinated. Some parts of OK have had lots of cool, cloudy, rainy days during the last month or six weeks. Or, if you have neighbors who spray pesticides that affect the honeybees, you may not be having enough pollinators around.

Dawn