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Corryton, TN

My patch is greater than 3/4 mile from the nearest possible garden. Does anyone know for sure of any other host plants that squash bugs will raise their young on other than cucurbits? The adults just keep coming from somewhere.

8/5/2013 7:57:09 PM

South Hero, VT

Read this and learn all about the nasty little SOBs.


http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05609.html

8/5/2013 8:18:12 PM

Corryton, TN

That's a good read. I'm familiar with the published lifecycle and when I raised commercial kins I would see nymphs periodically. Used a boom sprayer and killed what I could. Now using air blast sprayer on a few plants without finding nymphs and very seldom eggs, believe me I'm looking for both. Just wondering if they raise young on other plants and could those plants be a host for YVD.

8/5/2013 8:44:44 PM

South Hero, VT

Everything I've read indicates squash bugs thrive on cucubit plants only.

8/6/2013 6:26:07 AM

Williamsburg,KY

I am not sure if squash bugs raise their young on other plants or not Dave. From what I read, the are attracted to the smell of the squash plant. I also found this: Spend the winter as unmated adults in protected sites
under plant debris, compost piles, around building
foundations, etc.
Perhaps some trap crops of zucchini but they sure love the squash plant the best. I wish you luck. You could place boards or thick cardboard around the area, the squash bugs will congregate under and you could squash them daily.

8/6/2013 6:28:57 AM

Holton, Michigan

yup i question that every year.where do all the adults come from neverending supplie here.and they wont hide under boards when there are large cuber plants for them.how do they survive threw and threw without cuber plants 7months out of a year?

8/6/2013 6:53:10 AM

Corryton, TN

If I knew taking a year off to break the lifecycle in this vicinity would work I'd gladly do it. Don't want to waste a year if they migrate miles or survive on other plants.

8/6/2013 8:19:43 AM

SW Ohio

Dave it looks like there has been some success using peremiter trap crops. Timing seems to be the big key to it working. Check out these links and see if anything is useful:

http://www.extension.org/pages/61596/stink-bug-management-using-trap-crops-in-organic-farming#.UgEnDG2D7QM

http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/site/articles/trap_crops/

8/6/2013 12:49:14 PM

Sourthern Utah

here in the south west part of utah,, i dont have a pumpkin or squash grower in near proximity, but we have lots of tumbleweeds ,, and squash bugs seem to do well with them,, we spray imidaclorpid and permithrim alternately every other weekend to keep them in check, i also believe squash bugs transfer YVD,, to cucurbits.

8/6/2013 2:58:06 PM

Eugene,OR

I notice cucumber beetles ( but never squash bugs) in my cover crop every spring when it starts to warm up. They probably prefer squash, but will live in other crops as well.

8/6/2013 5:23:55 PM

Citrus Heights, CA

I tried to pick a tomato the other day. I pulled on the mater and something pulled it back, I let go and about twenty squash bugs marched to the front of it and stared me down. I also noticed eggs on some of the leaves. BLT's sound yummy for lunch tomorrow, so maybe I'll arm myself and go try and get a tomato or two. Wish me luck.

8/7/2013 2:05:48 AM

Colorado

Some colorado growers are surrounded by grassland and horse pastures .They still get squash bus,so they can can make a living and reproduce on non pumpkin vegetation. when the temps get in the 90's and they smell squash plants they fly for them to find other squash bugs and reproduce. They also like pumpkin plant smell plus squash bug smell the best-thats why you see most of them on one plant.If you take a year off dave, the numbers will drop but theyll always be some.I'm planting lots of trap plants next year and spraying the ags often.The can smell the pyrethrin insecticides and hopefully will stay in the non sprayed trap plants

8/9/2013 2:27:09 AM

President - GPC

Colorado.....the squash bug captiol of the world....

We sprayed...good.. but didnt spray the stemZ on the pumpkin...BiZ had an egg pattern on the damn pumpkin stem.....

8/9/2013 9:55:27 AM