12/20/2023 0 Comments Squash bugs![]() Home gardeners may have some success with deworming the vines. Sprays need to penetrate the canopy to cover the vines to be effective. Use two insecticide applications 7 days apart to control newly hatching larvae and continue to monitor for additional activity. Very early signs of larval feeding indicate that other eggs will be hatching soon. This usually corresponds to mid-June as the start of the adult flight. Use 950 degree days as the time to begin monitoring plants weekly for initial signs of the borer's frass at entrance holes in the stems. Adult emergence occurs at approximately 1000 degree days (base 50F with a Jan 1 biofix) in the early summer. Poor timing of sprays is the usual cause of inadequate control. Once inside the vine, insecticidal control is ineffective. ![]() The key to squash vine borer management is controlling the borers before they enter the stem. There are 1 to 2 generations per year in Kentucky. A larva feeds for 14 to 30 days before exiting the stem to pupate in the soil. The newly hatched larva immediately bores into the stem. The small brown eggs, laid individually on leaf stalks and vines, hatch in seven to 10 days. Adult moths begin to emerge about the time the plants begin to run, and moth flight continues through mid-August. If it has not already done so, the larva pupates in the spring. This insect overwinters as a full-grown larva or a pupa one to two inches below the soil surface. Unlike most moths, they fly about the plants during the daytime, appearing more like a paper wasp than a moth.įigure 2. The adult squash vine borer is a stout dark gray moth with 'hairy' red hind legs, opaque front wings, and clear hind wings with dark veins. Winter squash, particularly 'Hubbard', are most susceptible to damage while 'Butternut' is somewhat resistant. The caterpillars reach a length of 1 inch and have a brown head and a cream-colored body. ![]() If the stem is split open, one to several borers are usually present. Careful examination will uncover yellow brown excrement pushed out through holes in the side of the stem at the point of wilting. Sawdust like frass near the base of the plant is the best evidence of squash vine borer activity. Squash vione borer larva tunneling in squash stem. Infested vines usually die beyond the point of attack.įigure 1. Symptoms appear in mid-summer when a long runner or an entire plant wilts suddenly. Unfortunately, it is usually noticed only after it has done its damage. The squash vine borer is a key pest of winter squash, gourds and pumpkins in Kentucky. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture SQUASH VINE BORER ENTFACT-314: Squash Vine Borer and Squash Bug | Download PDF Ric Bessin, Extension Specialist
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