Good advice from Peter - never thought about a night time raid :)

I don't know if you can get the plant down to the soil but my spaghetti squash has set roots off the vine. If possible this might be another option for you.

Peter- I hope the Bt works long enough for them to ripen on the vine. How likely is it that a borer will bore into a fruit? That was my only concern with leaving them on until the bitter end.

gumby_ct - I wish I could put the squash on the ground, it's so intertwined with the cattle panel I think I would probably finish it off unintentionally. I am going to build a larger bed for squash next year so I don't have to trellis and hopefully rooting along the vine will allow them to be more productive as well.

Why would the Bt only work long enough? If the treatment is successful it will kill the borer and that will be the end of that (assuming the plant is still healthy and no more take it's place or there is more than one in there). Or it won't be successful at all.

I had borers I think in 2 fruits last summer of a couple dozen, and they were in all my plants. Still a better risk than picking a totally immature winter squash IMHO. You could spray the fruits with the Bt, it is organic and AFAIK in no way harmful to humans, but someone please check me on that.

I agree with Peter that it's better to leave the fruits on the vine. I don't have vast experience on this issue, but I've never had a borer get into the fruit. (There are other bugs that do that!)

I also think it's a good idea for you to not trellis them next year. Re-rooting seems to help with production, and it also gives them another nutrient source (ahead of the borer damage).

Good luck!

-Anne

I should have phrased that a little differently, I meant I hope that I got the Bt in soon enough that the plants will live long enough to ripen the squash.