Dealing with Squash Bugs

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Sometimes a mild winter bites you in the behind, particularly when it comes to pests. One example is the boon of squash bugs in the garden, in many parts of the country, after a less severe winter and bit of an erratic weather pattern during the spring and summer. During an easy winter, there are more pests that survive, and when the weather is all over the place, particularly when drought conditions weaken the plants, the situation is ripe for a supreme pest battle.

What are Squash Bugs?

Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are pretty much everywhere in the United States and southern Canada. They’re not as bad in some locales as others, but it doesn’t mean the right conditions can’t cause them to become a problem, particularly in Southern regions where they can produce more than one generation per year.

Like so many pests, squash bugs overwinter as adults in the debris of the garden, typically where the concurbits were planted the previous season. When they emerge in the spring, they’ll head back to the plants where they’ll feed and lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. They’ll stay in the egg stage for about 7 to 9 days, then maintain the nymph stage for just over a month before becoming a voracious adult.

These bad actors can do a tremendous amount of damage from the nymph stage throughout their adulthood. Even if their feeding doesn’t kill the plant outright, they can infect it with a virus, causing the plant to wilt and stop production (it might as well be dead). They’ll also eat the fruit themselves, as Whitney Cranshaw from Colorado State University shows in the photo I used to illustrate this piece.

Prevention

Can you imagine dealing with something like this? Unfortunately, squash bugs are tough to handle, since using insecticides isn’t terribly effective. It’s time for some significant diligence and old school methods to keep them under control.

The first step is to plant big, healthy plants. Start them indoors weeks before the last frost, so when you plant them outdoors they are well on their way. Also, don’t plant them in the area where you planted squash or pumpkins the previous year. Cover the plants with a floating row cover, making sure you have it pinned to the soil to minimize potential infestation. Once the plants are starting to flower, you’ll either have to remove it or hand-pollinate it.

As the season progresses, keep an eye on your plants. Look under the leaves for the eggs so you can eliminate them before they hatch. I’d rip off the entire leaf. And if you find nymphs or adults, flick them off into soapy water.

More Tips

Another trick is to place boards along the base of the plants. The squash bugs will often congregate beneath the boards on cool evenings, allowing you to kill a lot of them at one time. You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth (my favorite go-to remedy for just about anything) around the plants to prevent the bugs from climbing up the stems. Of course, replace this layer of protection anytime it rains or you water.

If you have a serious problem with squash bugs this year, toss or burn spent plants instead of trying to compost them. Plant next year’s squash and pumpkins well away from where you planted them this year, and stay on top of it to prevent them from taking hold. Squash bugs can certainly be a big problem, but hopefully if you use proactive measures from the beginning of the season, you can keep them under control.

As I mentioned, the photo is used by permission by Whitney Cranshaw from the Colorado State University via bugwood.org. I couldn’t believe how many squash bugs covered this fruit, and am grateful she allowed me to use it as an illustration.

Meet Amy Grisak

Amy is a freelance author and photographer in Great Falls, MT who specializes in gardening, foods, and sustainable agriculture. She provides information on every kind…

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