[Ag-eq] Squash vine borer

[Tracy Carcione]

I googled squash borer, and found lots of helpful info.

 

In Minnesota, they lay eggs in late June-early July.  In the north, they
have only one generation; in the south, 2.  Late spring, wherever they are,
is when to be on the lookout.  They are moths.  They fly in the day, and
make a loud buzz.  

They attack summer squash, zucchini, and pumpkin.

They are attracted to yellow, and can be trapped, some, by putting out
yellow containers full of water.  

The caterpillars pupate an inch or 2 below the soil until next spring, so
cultivate well and rotate the crops.

Wiping the stem vigorously every few days in late spring until July 4 may
deter them.  Wrapping the stem with row-cover cloth before planting may
help.  Add more wrapping as the plant grows.  Or spray the plant with BT.
Or inject nematodes into the vine, if you find a hole.  Now I'll paste what
the U of Minnesota had to say:

 

Cultural

*  Plant vine crops that are usually not attacked by squash vine borers,
such as butternut squash, cucumbers, melons, and watermelons.

*  A second planting of summer squash made in early July will mature after
adult borers have finished laying eggs.

*  Promptly pull and destroy any plants killed by squash vine borers. 

Physical

You can physically exclude adult borers by placing floating row covers over
your vine crops when they start to vine (or for non-vining varieties,
starting late June or early July) or when you first detect squash vine borer
adults. Keep the barriers in place for about two weeks after the first adult
borer has been seen. Be sure the row covers are securely anchored to prevent
adults from moving underneath it.

Don't use row covers if cucurbits were planted in the same area the previous
year. This is because squash vine borers overwinter in the soil near their
host plants. When the adults emerge the following summer, they may end being
trapped under the row cover instead of being kept out. Practice rotation to
minimize this issue by planting cucurbits in different areas of your garden
(if possible) or alternate seasons when you grow cucurbits.

Caution: Generally do not use floating row covers anytime crops are
flowering. This prevents bees from pollinating your vegetables which will
have a negative impact on plants. An exception to this would be if you
pollinate your crops by hand while the floating row cover is erected.