Hi All,

Wednesday, it was hot (~80F) and dry and lots of
sunlight, so perfect for spraying my hordes of weeds
with vinegar. I put six gallons down.

Well, now, up from the depths of a weeds canopy comes
lumbering up, off all things, a squash bug. He is now
deceased (death by shoe).

Here is the fun part, I don't even plant my squash
seeds until the third week in May. Maybe the rest of them
will starve to death in the mean time?

death to squash bugs
death to earwigs
death to weeds

-T

Oh, ya, he was probably an over winter bug, so
not much change a few more weeks will stave them.
And it is cool again, so their metabolisms will
probably shut down again.

T wrote:
....
death to squash bugs
death to earwigs
death to weeds

p.s. rumbo squash, may be too many carbs for
you, but eaten in moderation may be ok or for
others in family or just used to smother weeds
and provide a vigorous ground cover.

repeat suggestion of trombonico squash as
replacement for zukes... keep seeing people
having better luck with it in face of pest
pressures.


songbird

On 6/20/2018 7:11 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
death to squash bugs
death to earwigs
death to weeds
p.s. rumbo squash, may be too many carbs for
you, but eaten in moderation may be ok or for
others in family or just used to smother weeds
and provide a vigorous ground cover.

repeat suggestion of trombonico squash as
replacement for zukes... keep seeing people
having better luck with it in face of pest
pressures.


songbird

Â* I'm trying to control the squash bugs here ... this is the first year
they have been a problem . Does DiPel (BTk) or DE (I dusted a little on
the acorns last night) work at all ? I have another "natural"
insecticide , but hesitate to use it since the bees are foraging on the
blossoms . Destroying the eggs and bugs as I find them has helped , but
I missed a few ... damn them little buggers are fast !

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

Terry Coombs wrote:
....
Â* I'm trying to control the squash bugs here ... this is the first year
they have been a problem . Does DiPel (BTk) or DE (I dusted a little on
the acorns last night) work at all ? I have another "natural"
insecticide , but hesitate to use it since the bees are foraging on the
blossoms . Destroying the eggs and bugs as I find them has helped , but
I missed a few ... damn them little buggers are fast !

i've never used any biological larval control for any
creature here because i do not like the possible harm to
other larval creatures like the butterflies that may be
around. while i have had a lot of Japanese beetles at
times i'm ok with them and hand picking them off if i
have to...

i've also never actually gone out to find the eggs
or larva for the borers. i figure if the squash plants
are tough enough they'll survive and i just don't like
being in the baby the plant regime of things if i can
possibly help it. what doesn't survive here over time
gets replaced by things that do.


songbird

On Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 8:46:49 AM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 6/20/2018 7:11 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
death to squash bugs
death to earwigs
death to weeds
p.s. rumbo squash, may be too many carbs for
you, but eaten in moderation may be ok or for
others in family or just used to smother weeds
and provide a vigorous ground cover.

repeat suggestion of trombonico squash as
replacement for zukes... keep seeing people
having better luck with it in face of pest
pressures.


songbird

Â* I'm trying to control the squash bugs here ... this is the first year
they have been a problem . Does DiPel (BTk) or DE (I dusted a little on
the acorns last night) work at all ? I have another "natural"
insecticide , but hesitate to use it since the bees are foraging on the
blossoms . Destroying the eggs and bugs as I find them has helped , but
I missed a few ... damn them little buggers are fast !

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

Dust a bit of that DE near the root section of the plant. It will kill hatching borers before they can get into the plant. Just remember to dust again after a rain.

On 6/20/2018 10:54 AM, wrote:
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 8:46:49 AM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 6/20/2018 7:11 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
death to squash bugs
death to earwigs
death to weeds
p.s. rumbo squash, may be too many carbs for
you, but eaten in moderation may be ok or for
others in family or just used to smother weeds
and provide a vigorous ground cover.

repeat suggestion of trombonico squash as
replacement for zukes... keep seeing people
having better luck with it in face of pest
pressures.


songbird
Â* I'm trying to control the squash bugs here ... this is the first year
they have been a problem . Does DiPel (BTk) or DE (I dusted a little on
the acorns last night) work at all ? I have another "natural"
insecticide , but hesitate to use it since the bees are foraging on the
blossoms . Destroying the eggs and bugs as I find them has helped , but
I missed a few ... damn them little buggers are fast !

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !
Dust a bit of that DE near the root section of the plant. It will kill hatching borers before they can get into the plant. Just remember to dust again after a rain.

Â* These are not borers , they are squash bugs , a totally different
critter . Here's a link : https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-bugs .
They lay small masses of small (1 mm?) brown spherical eggs on the
underside of a leaf . When they hatch the babies eat the leaf - and more .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

On 06/20/2018 05:47 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 6/20/2018 7:11 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
death to squash bugs
death to earwigs
death to weeds
Â*Â* p.s. rumbo squash, may be too many carbs for
you, but eaten in moderation may be ok or for
others in family or just used to smother weeds
and provide a vigorous ground cover.Â*

Â*Â* repeat suggestion of trombonico squash as
replacement for zukes...Â* keep seeing people
having better luck with it in face of pest
pressures.


Â*Â* songbird

Â* I'm trying to control the squash bugs here ... this is the first year
they have been a problem . Does DiPel (BTk) or DE (I dusted a little on
the acorns last night) work at all ? I have another "natural"
insecticide , but hesitate to use it since the bees are foraging on the
blossoms . Destroying the eggs and bugs as I find them has helped , but
I missed a few ... damn them little buggers are fast !


Do you have access to ducks or chickens?