Squash bugs
They suck the sap right out of the plants (squash, pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon) and the plant will suddenly wilt and eventually die.
Life cycle
They usually live for a year and adults survive in winter.
Damage
They eat basically any plants.
Control
Compare all organic and non-organic ways and their effectiveness.
Prevention
How to prevent those suckers from coming out in spring?
Life cycle
They usually live for a year and adults survive in winter.
Control
Compare all organic and non-organic ways and their effectiveness.
Damage
They eat basically any plants.
Prevention
How to prevent those suckers from coming out in spring?
Life cycle
Adult squash bugs don’t die in winter- they find places to over winter and match in spring. Eggs take <2 weeks to hatch (~May in SLC); nymph stages usually take 4-6 weeks. So the turnaround is fast and the second generation will appear in mid summer.
Damage
Adults and nymphs feed on leaves, vines, and fruits and resulting in yellow spots which will turn brown (or black.) They can injure plant’s xylem vessels and cause sudden wilt.
Control
The easiest way to get it under control is by checking under the leaves for egg clusters in spring. Adult squash bugs are hardy and difficult to kill with insecticides.
Mechanical
Traps, picking by hand- Put cardboard or shingles near the plant, and they’ll aggregate underneath at night.
- Flush the base of the plant with a hose and pick the bugs.
- Check under the leaves and duck tape the eggs away.
- Won’t hurt any beneficial bugs
- If you have a big patch of squash/pumpkin, it will be almost impossible to check all the leaves.
- You still can miss some…
Biological
Parasitoids- Tachinid fly, Trichopoda pennipes, attacks older nymphs and adults, and several wasps that parasitize eggs.
- A reward for a garden with good eco system
- The chance of having this in the yard is low…
- Not many predators of squash bugs because they release a noxious odor when attacked to repel predators.
Chemical
Sevin- Only work for nymphs. Adults are resistant to insecticides.
- Can be effective when you combine with other methods
- Can also get rid of earwigs, grasshoppers, other undesirable pests
- Bugs can develop resistance to insecticides
- You have to spray on every leaf.
Get it control in early spring…
Duck tape: When the plants are still small, check the back side of the leaves very often. Use the duck tape to remove eggs. This is the most effective way to avoid disaster later.
Prevention
Catch them early in spring to prevent your garden get completely destroyed.
Keep it clean
Remove debris after the growing season to minimize the spots they can overwinter.
Strategic planting
Some people successfully avoid squash bugs when they plant squash later (ex: early summer.) Or plant “trap crops” which particularly attract bugs – aka sacrificers.
Crop rotation
Plant non-cucurbit crops in the second year to avoid overwintering squash bugs. This might only make sense for a bigger yard.