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In The Patch (Cambridge, Ohio)

I am sure many others have done this but I thought I would post this in case this would help anyone else this season and potentially save someones plant. I discovered SVB in several of my Big Max plants and went to work experimenting with good results and thought I would post them in case anyone found this helpful.

First off in all the cases of SVB that I have encountered in my garden so far, I have found the grub within 2 inches of the entry point from which they when in so based on this I would say that the majority of the time as long as you find them reasonably quick they will not have went far although if they entered through the leaf stem they might not be as easy to find unless they are still in the stem and then you could just cut it off and get it out before it enters any vines. I had read on this site about other people who had done injections with insecticides and had good results so I went right to work experimenting.

I went and found an air needle which you would use to pump up a football or basketball, a squirt bottle, and a ready to use Bayer "Advance Lawn Grub Control" that hooks right the the water hose. Hooked the insecticide to the hose and sprayed right into the squirt bottle so there was a fair amount in there. I added just a little bit of Daconil and then shook to mix it up good.

7/30/2007 2:53:19 AM

In The Patch (Cambridge, Ohio)

For the experiment I used side vines which I just cut them off and then cut out about a foot section where the borer was and left that portion of the vine intact just as it would be on the plant. I set the spray bottle so that it sprayed in a stream and not a mist. In otherwords so that it will squirt the farthest in a straight line so as to better shoot down the needle. I put the needle gently into the entry point and and gave it 5 good squirts or so with the squirt bottle nozzle right up against the open end of the needle and waited about 5 minutes. After giving it a little time I opened it up to see the results and each time I did this the borer was dead as a door nail when I opened it up and checked. The real purpose for the experiment though was for applications where the borer was in the main vine or the stump of your plant where you do not want to do any cutting. I have two plants right now where borers entered directly into the stump and again I used their entry point and injected the mixture right into where they were at. Whether this saves the plant or not time will only tell but I am confident enough from the tests I did using vine segments to say that if a borer in your plant and you know where he is and you inject to where it is at, "it" will be no more.

7/30/2007 2:54:55 AM

In The Patch (Cambridge, Ohio)

My only concerns with doing this would probably be that you are putting liquids down in the hollow point of your vine or stump and I am not sure if this would eventually cause some rot or not or just get absorbed into the vine. Maybe Tremor would have some input on this as he is a specialist in these areas. Using the air needle is not very intrusive to the vine and easily fits in the entry hole of the borer or even if you have to stick it in the vine which I also did. If you end up having to stick it directly in the vine it is a tiny hole. Not as small as like a hypodermic needle, but many of us do not have access to such and the air needle makes a good substitute. If you have to stick directly into the vine, stick the needle in until you feel it free up when it hits the hollow middle of the vine then pull it back out and check it. My needle has an open end and two small holes in the tip sides and when I would stick it right into the vine the needle tip would clog. Use a small wire or guitar string to unclog the needle and then stick it right back in the same hole and it will inject freely.

I know much of this has already been covered in past posts but it is that time of the year for the borers for many of us and if this would give someone another option rather than pulling their plant I figured why not throw a post up and make the info easy to find. Maybe some other growers would have some other tactics or good info to put up for this years growers in dealing with these darn things (SVB) in the event they have already found their way into your vines or stump and maybe help someone out. Hopefully you do not need this post but if you do this may be another option on the table for you. Good Luck! AW

7/30/2007 2:55:19 AM

Georgia

Well Ive tried everything I possibly could and it seems I failed. I had to pull three of my best plants because of Svbs. I thought I had them beat and checked my plants closely and found frass at several entry points. I tried to save them but had to loose to many vines to actually grow anything of size. I ordered a product called nema-ject which are sussposedly beneficial nematodes. Itll probally be to late by then I fear. Good luck to anyone dealing with them. I have one competion plant im trying to save.

7/30/2007 9:09:49 AM

Massachusetts

I have also been battling with the dreaded SVB, I have pulled 3 plants and have several left, everday I check the plants I have new borer holes. I have removed over 30 so far!
But, the plants still look really healthy.
Someone mentioned placing moth balls around the base of the plant, has anyone tried this?

Newbie

8/2/2007 6:41:57 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Moth balls won't help.

SVB's are all about prevention. Residual contact insecticide sprays made just prior to the adult's arrival combined with a fresh systemic spray.

Imidacloprid April 15-28 repeat June 18-25
Bifenthrin or Lambda-cyhalothrin June 25-28 repeat every 10 days

8/2/2007 7:22:42 AM