Yuck. I have them but never noticed damage to the butternut from them. What damage have you noticed?

They'll kill the plant from the hatchlings sucking on them. I don't know if they transmit a wilt or what, but though the adults don't cause any problems--aside from laying millions of eggs--the hatchlings are the problem. Zucchini is much more susceptible; butternut can take a little more.

I've been picking off leaves that I notice have eggs on them. I can't keep up well with it though -- the eggs are usually on the underside, and if those squash plants are really vigorous and leafy. Eh, I do the best I can. I had them pretty bad last year and had an abundant crop of butternut. The squash vine borers usually wipe out the kabocha, but I keep trying every year because I love kabocha and so does DH.

I was out there this afternoon hunting after the lone squash vine borer I saw, I followed her around with a bottle of Captain Jack's Deadbug and shot her good a couple times. I'm not sure it will do her in, though, but if it's enough to slow her down I might be able to pound her good with a rock. I've only seen one SVB at a time on any given day, which is a good sign but I know it only takes one male and one female.... No damage to the kabocha yet (yet...).

I've been spared the SVB.

"I've been spared the SVB."

Count your blessings.

mxk3 z5b_MI afaik the Squash bugs always lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. SVB lays eggs on the stem low to the ground which will soon burrow an inch or so into the soil.

I've had good luck using duct tape, wrapped around my hand to stick n peel the eggs from the leaves. It also works to trap any adults found on the leaves. Either burn the eggs or make sure they leave your property. But fire can be a friend at this point.

So sorry! What I did that is working was to move my zucchini plants FAR away from the garden. I now plant them in my back yard in big containers, which is about 200' from the garden. So far, so good. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I think zucchini (at least in my experience) are the worst/best attractors of the squash bugs. I do grow Waltham butternut squash, which was supposedly less likely to attract them. Anyhow.....good luck!

The infestation on the butternut is far, far, far worse than on the zucchini. Of course, many more leaves to check for egg masses too.

I have been using Surround WP for a long time in my garden. I have found it to be effective in deterring squash bugs (and a wide variety of other pests) from both feeding and egg laying. I highly recommend it. Works a treat against sun scald and heat stress, too.