I have several cantaloupe vines which are loaded, have been picking ripe
ones for a couple weeks now however about half of them have a worm hole in
the side, some can be cut out and are ok, others are trash.
Does anyone have a good solution to prevent this?
--
Sam
Along the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach SC

thanks for reply but I have already used both the methods you mentioned
without any better luck. I put them on ceramic tile plus I have a few
growing on a hog wire fence to which I tie them up with panty hose for
support (no pun intended) and they still get worms.
Any other advice?

--
Sam
Along the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach SC
"dkra" wrote in message
news ..
x-no-archive: yes

In article , "samuel l crowe"
wrote:

I have several cantaloupe vines which are loaded, have been picking ripe
ones for a couple weeks now however about half of them have a worm hole
in
the side, some can be cut out and are ok, others are trash.
Does anyone have a good solution to prevent this?

Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Make sure ripening melons are off the ground (place a brick or
something under each one) so they may better avoid ground-crawling pests,
as well as rot.
2. A suggestion from our local newspaper (San Francisco Chronicle, in an
article which appeared a week or so ago): get some old nylon stockings
and slip one over each melon. They're elastic (so as to allow for growth
of the fruit) and critters large and small won't enjoy trying to chew
through all that fabric.

-- dkra

--
dkraatmmiiidotixdotnetcomdotcom
[Subtract two thousand and (one plus two), plus the "." of course.]

thanks for reply but I have already used both the methods you mentioned
without any better luck. I put them on ceramic tile plus I have a few
growing on a hog wire fence to which I tie them up with panty hose for
support (no pun intended) and they still get worms.
Any other advice?

--
Sam
Along the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach SC

Sam: You have encountered the dreaded pickle worm. Here in middle Ga, I can
usually get a cantaloupe crop out of the field before these things arrive from
Florida. They can be controlled between hatch and boring into the melons by
selective use of pesticides but it requires timely applications, Once they
enter the melon, it's about over. Check with your local extension agent or
Clemson University for reccomendations specific to SC

On 27 Jul 2003 17:30:55 GMT, (FarmerDill) wrote:


thanks for reply but I have already used both the methods you mentioned
without any better luck. I put them on ceramic tile plus I have a few
growing on a hog wire fence to which I tie them up with panty hose for
support (no pun intended) and they still get worms.
Any other advice?

--
Sam
Along the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach SC

Sam: You have encountered the dreaded pickle worm. Here in middle Ga, I can
usually get a cantaloupe crop out of the field before these things arrive from
Florida. They can be controlled between hatch and boring into the melons by
selective use of pesticides but it requires timely applications, Once they
enter the melon, it's about over. Check with your local extension agent or
Clemson University for reccomendations specific to SC


I am in Florida and if you have pickle worms, spraying twice
weekly with BT(Thuricide), paying particular attention to the new
growth buds and watching out for them elsewhere, you might have a
chance. I've planted my second planitng of cucumbers and my first of
butternut squash this year and that is what I'm doing this go around.
The first time, I didn't know what they were. I'm prepared for them
now. Sevin will work also but my cucumber plants (straight 8) didn't
hold up well after I did and sevin is devastating to honey bees.