Squash borers

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cactusman8 San Marcos, TX(Zone 8b) Nov 15, 2005

Now that I've found this wonderful source of advice and information, I'm going to take full advantage of it and hopefully make some new friends. Today's question pertains to dealing with squash borers. Before they found my garden, I really enjoyed growing them and giving away the surplus to neighbors and relatives. Those days are over. About the time the blooming period really starts getting underway, the plants are attacked and I don't get a single squash. I've done some research on the problem and I know that the critters live over in the ground. This summer I tried growing absolutely no members of the cucurbit family, hoping to starve them out. Will one year of rotation be sufficient to interrupt the cycle? If i don't grow cucumbers next year my wife may divorce me. Hope there's some encouragement out there for me. Paul

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Nov 15, 2005

If your only problem is squash vines borers, cucumbers should not be a problem. Unfortunately the adults are very strong flyers, s o if they are in the area they will find your squash plants You can of course us good sanitation practices in your plot which will help reduce the population. may also help you get a crop before the roving adults find your plants.
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/veg/ef314.htm
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2153.html
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Vegetables/veg20.html
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/squashbore.html
I get decent results, by plowing down the debris after the last picking, and planting a none related crop. In late fall that becomes a winter cover crop of rye.
In your area, the pickle worm may be a worst pests and they do attack cucumbers. They are very bad in midsummer here.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cucurbit/insect/insect1/insect1.4.html

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Zeppy Shenandoah Valley, VA(Zone 6b) Nov 15, 2005

They got me bad this last year, too. Oh, and the wilt the cucumber beetles brought. Bad year for my curcubits. Nuthin worked.

HOWEVER, the pumpkins I had growing basically in a dense clover bed were untouched by the borers. Not sure why, but I'm doing a trial with clover next year.

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Indy Alexandria, IN(Zone 6a) Nov 15, 2005

Squash vine borers and squash bugs are a real problem on squash. For the organic minded grower there are tricks that help but leave a lot to be desired usually.

Butternut squash are not bothered as badly.

You can keep those pests at bay on squash usually with liquid Sevin spray applied in the evening after the blossoms are closed and the bees have gone home. Up here the borer time starts in late June when the young plants have begun to vine. It helps to apply the spray after a rain to the base of the plant and on the vine for a little ways as the borers enter the vines near the starting point of the plant.

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