Ready to squash this garden pest? Take steps to banish the bugs, save beloved gourds
Every year around June, our office gets questions about one of the most dreaded foes of the vegetable garden. Problematic and unsightly squash bugs are known for siphoning the sap of the fruits they target, destroying the crop.
Moreover, they show up on squash and any vegetable remotely related to squash and gourd. They are nearly impossible to control if you don’t do so at the exact correct time. So, what can be done to control them? Are there any methods to putting these foes in their place?
The key to effective squash bug control lies in the early stages, with mitigation and a strategic approach to your garden. One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is crop rotation.
Moving your susceptible vegetables to a different area each year can actively exclude newly growing plants from remnant pests that may have carried over in the soil or plant debris. This simple yet effective practice can significantly reduce the risk of a severe infestation.
Elsewhere, scouting for pests from the get-go will be your saving grace. Squash bugs lay their hard, burgundy-hued eggs in staggered rows along the underside of plant leaves. Looking for these early, you can try to smash them or pick them off, then discard them in soapy water. In many instances, however, you may find the eggs too hard to smash or too attached to remove.
In this case, excision of that portion of the leaf, then disposing into soapy water, is recommended. While it may not be pretty, the uninfected leaf will still have enough surface area to photosynthesize and adequately feed the plant.
Beyond this point, you will begin needing to actively address an infestation, as the eggs will be hatching and nymphs feeding. If you’re willing to go the route, this is the best time to treat the plants with a pesticide, as the nymphs have not developed a hard-protecting exoskeleton yet.
Place some form of a cover on the ground, like a plank, tile or piece of cardboard. The insects will congregate here in the early morning when searching for warmth. This enables a simpler way to locate them for spray treatment. You’ll want to use a product with the active ingredient spinosad, permethrin, cyhalothrin or cyfluthrin. Label instructions should be carefully followed for a proper and safe application.
You may opt to avoid a chemical route. While not as effective, lifting the ground cover in the morning can let you hand-pick the pests, dropping them into soapy water. This is usually more effective with a flexible cover, such as cardboard. With the insects clung to it, the cardboard can be folded, and the insects funneled into the water, allowing them to spread while caught. Done early, this can be practiced several times in the morning before the sun’s heat arrives.
Anthony Reardon is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Need help? Contact the Johnson County Extension gardening hotline at 913-715-7050 or email garden.help@jocogov.org.
