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San Diego, Ca.

Hi! I'm new here and from San Diego, CA. This year my wife and I decided to try and grow some big max! So far things are going great, except for a pest problem we're having.

Pictures coming up.

7/24/2018 11:10:11 AM

San Diego, Ca.

Picture #1: https://cdn.pbrd.co/images/HvXhbBL.jpg

Picture #2: https://cdn.pbrd.co/images/HvXi7jc.jpg

7/24/2018 11:20:06 AM

San Diego, Ca.

Does anyone have an idea of what type of pests are doing this damage? Picture #1: Eating holes in the leaves. Picture #2: Eating/cutting the leaves.

If you have any ideas please let me know.

7/24/2018 11:22:17 AM

Central NY

Slugs?...I think I see one on the ground in the first pic ...I thought you were talking about SoCal at first...he’s not that much of a pest...

7/24/2018 1:22:54 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Hi Porkchop,

I read where it could be slugs, but I'm not so sure. I've not seen any nor slime. I am using a product called 'sluggo' just in case though. In the first pic that's a leaf you see. Yes, I'm in SoCal. I guess I am going to have to do some night time recon work?

7/24/2018 2:05:40 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Do you have Japanese beetles there? Around here they chew on leaves between the veins.

7/24/2018 2:58:37 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Good question Iowegian? I have seen June Bugs here...

7/24/2018 3:32:46 PM

San Diego, Ca.

I did some more research. Perhaps the ate/cut leaves was some sort of pest. The other leaves could be a fungi. I.E. anthracnose. I read it can be an issue for cucurbits. Thoughts pumpkin growing experts?

7/25/2018 3:16:34 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

On the east coast that would be Japanese beetles. Whatever it is, 0.5 oz bifenthrin per gallon will surely handle the culprit.

SoCal is another growers name on this site. Porky is just busting your “chops”.

7/25/2018 10:21:35 AM

San Diego, Ca.

No worries, I have a new theory. What do you all think about earwigs. During my recon, I saw a couple of them and I killed them. I read they are mostly nocturnal and eat plants at night. Is this bifenthrin safe?

7/25/2018 11:10:46 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Orangeneck, Do you know how I contact SoCal? Perhaps they could have some local input.

Porky, I didn't catch you were actually talking about another grower. =>]

7/26/2018 12:14:16 AM

Central NY

Lol...he’s one of the best out your way...not much of pest if you catch him on a good day...I agree with orange neck...binefrin...or liquid Sevin should take care of the bugs...good luck!

7/26/2018 7:20:59 AM

San Diego, Ca.

Porkchop, liquid sevin seems wicked. Is it safe to use now that my plants are flowering? It says it is very harmful to honey bees. Why would I want to kill my pollinators? For the time being I read sugar water will irritate earwigs stomachs. I tried it last night and finally found no new damaged leaves this morning. It's 1 tablespoon of sugar to 1 gallon of water. Then you mist the leaves and area around the plants.

7/27/2018 12:53:42 AM

Central NY

It is wicked...I’m a wicked man...I save my sugar for the Missus ....hope it continues to work!!

7/27/2018 8:23:15 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Any insecticides should be sprayed in the evening when the bees have gone back to the hives.

7/27/2018 9:36:38 AM

central Nc

BigMax, you're in for a world of heartache if you don't use insecticide. I've been an organic gardener for 20 years and came into giants this year with the same mindset--no chemicals. Well, let me just say I now have bottles of chlorothalonil, bifen, and imidacloprid on my bathroom floor. I keep them off my edibles and spray at night, like Iowegian said. I haven't gone all in and used any systemic so far, but maybe next year as my SVB traps have only limited effect. Squash bugs and vine borers will destroy every cucurbit you have and they will only increase in population if left untreated. If you want to protect bees even more, practice hand pollination and cut all flowers you aren't going to use.

7/27/2018 11:10:26 AM

New Berlin, PA

Not sure if I read your post correctly, Wolfpack, but imidacloprid is a systemic pesticide.

7/27/2018 1:33:22 PM

central Nc

Sorry, I meant mancozeb. Still working on remembering active ingredients.

7/27/2018 2:14:40 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Great input from everyone, I really appreciate it. I never realized this was going to be so challenging. I'm definitely realizing I need insecticides, fungicides, among other things. I'll post a picture of my big max as of today. =]

7/27/2018 9:06:44 PM

Central NY

Get a notebook...yer gonna need it...and FYI ...keep your eyes on the journals...pumpkins get very big on this site...see one you like?..watch it grow...then email the grower at the end of the season and they most certainly will share seeds for the cost of shipping...best of luck

7/27/2018 9:22:48 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

In California do you need systemic? You don’t have vine borers (worst pest in Pumpkin growing), so wouldn’t spot insecticides work? Everything that stays outside the plant to eat should die immediately from a strong spot insecticide, but vine borers are inside the plant and Imidacloprid is what some call a revenge kill cause it takes a couple days.

7/27/2018 10:08:37 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Here we go. =]

https://cdn.pbrd.co/images/HwvF97q.jpg

7/28/2018 2:48:50 AM

central Nc

No svbs in California?? I'm packing up today.

7/28/2018 7:28:33 AM

San Diego, Ca.

Wolfpack, what is svbs?

7/28/2018 3:28:41 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Smallmouth, I'm not sure? I'm a rookie grower. I learned and grew cucurbits growing up, but this year is my first time as an adult growing them again.

7/28/2018 5:06:40 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

Svb stands for squash vine borer

7/28/2018 9:53:51 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

No SVBs west of the Rockies from what I understand.

7/28/2018 10:07:06 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

SDBigmax, in all honesty you have pests there we don’t have here as well so I’m not much help. I’d get in touch with SoCal Grower. His name is Chris and he’s very friendly while growing 1500+ in deep Southern California. Go to grower diaries from home page, click on SoCal, look top left of page and hover your cursor over little envelope when you find him to send email. From a smart phone just click on envelope and it will start an email.

7/28/2018 10:14:32 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Smallmouth, that makes sense. I'll do that.

Squash vine borers don't sound fun at all.

I'm starting my own diary, you'll find it soon enough.

7/29/2018 12:41:38 PM

San Diego, Ca.

That looks like caterpillar damage to me. When did the holes show up? Were they there when the leaves were small, before the leaves are the size they are now? Or did they just recently show up? If just recently, I would look at the underside of the leaves to see if you can find any caterpillars. If the holes were there early on I suspect you had a caterpillar chewing newly forming leaves in which case I would look at the newly forming leaves at the vine tip. They will usually be very small if they are up in the vine tip. I've had both of these situations happen on my plant. And this has been a bad caterpillar year for me. Thuricide works great to get rid of them. (at Home Depot).
One other possibility is that little yellow finches are pecking holes in your leaves but they usually start pecking holes at the center of the leaf first. They love sunflower leaves but will eat pumpkin leaves too.

7/29/2018 7:45:26 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Hi Gourdzilla, let me check my photo library. I don't recall? They definitely were attacked when they were smaller, but it was minimal damage. I will look into checking the leaves, but also buying some Thuricide. I've not seen any finches, but that doesn't mean they haven't been around when I'm not checking on things.

7/30/2018 8:59:12 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Hey Gourdzilla, check out my grower diary I think it will answer your question about when my leaf damage started. Team Faith (Jim) contacted me and he seemed to think birds too. When are they out? How can I catch them to see if that's a possibility?

It's pretty cool to know there are other giant pumpkin growers in San Diego. =)

8/2/2018 12:34:43 AM

Central NY

Lay down under the leaf canopy and start whistling...when they fly in, reach up quick and grab em by the tail feathers...

8/2/2018 12:25:13 PM

Central NY

And btw...for someone who basically dug holes into seemingly concrete-like conditions, I think your plants look fantastic...good luck!!!!

8/2/2018 12:26:35 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Hi SDBigMax, since you have that many holes in your leaves appearing in a days span I would say you are dealing with finches. But to be sure check the underside of your leaves when you see these holes appear. If they are caterpillars you will find them on the underside near the new holes.
I am going to post some pictures on my diary to show you what finch damage looks like on a sunflower leaf and a pumpkin leaf too. I will also post a pic of what caterpillar damage looks like and a picture of a caterpillar caught in the act.

8/2/2018 9:15:49 PM

Bethlehem CT

I don't usually comment or give my opinions for West Coast growers. You guys have different bugs and issues. I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction. There are lots of World Class growers in CA, even down as far as San Diego. I would make contact with them, I have found pumpkin growers to be some of the most generous people. (Gourdzilla has been on this site growing pumpkins for longer than just about everyone!)

8/3/2018 6:20:55 AM