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Brillion Wisconsin

I just got home from work and went out back to check on the pumpkins and noticed some whiteish goop on the ground under one of my plants. It was located between two mature leaves and about 5 inches from the main vine. The main is buried as are the rest of the vines on my plants. This stuff was not there at lunch time when I was home. Could this be evidence of a svb larvae in my plant? Is the frass pushed up to the surface when a plant gets invaded.I did a little excavation of the area and it seems to be only on the surface, not in the soil leading to the vine. I also examined the leaf steams in the vicinity and found no holes or ooze anywhere. I uncovered the stem of its dirt and did not find any holes or more of this material. It smells like the husk of sweet corn. I will try to get my wife to taste it when she gets home from work. Does anybody have any ideas before I get out the exacto knife? Dean o

7/7/2003 6:40:15 PM

Brillion Wisconsin

Update on "frass", I'm not sure what it was, and since nobody responded its still a mystery. I can't get my wife to swallow anything since she swallowed the wedding cake. I'm hopeing what I originally thought was frass from a svb larvae might have been the remains of a catapillar that a bird was munching on. I guess I will wait and see. Dean o

7/9/2003 9:08:08 AM

Western Pa.

GR,

"Frass" is like sawdust, and is left behind when a borer tunnels into the vine. I found whitish goop once that turmed out to be blue heron poop!

7/9/2003 9:13:43 AM

Brillion Wisconsin

I did'nt mention that my rain gauged messured 1.5 inches of rain the day before, the soil was extremly moist. I'm sure that much moisture would turn any saw dust like extrement into a paste. Dean o

7/9/2003 9:56:16 AM