Subject: squash bugs

From: [email-masked] (Simons Fam)
Date: 13 Mar 1995 16:02:08 -0500

Does anybody know of a good organic method of getting rid of squash bugs
besides hand picking? They totally wiped out my pumpkins and zucchini last
year.  I tried using the usual Safer products on them in addition to hand
picking but I couldn't keep up with them.

Thanks,
Kay

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From: [email-masked] (david devine)
Date: 14 Mar 1995 18:40:29 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
   [email-masked] (Anita Ford) wrote:
>In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Simons Fam) 
>writes: 
>
>>
>I was fighting them last year as well.  They are nasty creatures, aren't 
>they?
>
>Anyway, I read about (and tried) dusting the plants with wood ash.  It 
>seemed to help.  Since wood ash effects the ph, however, I wasn't sure 
>how much I could use.
>

I got hit last year as well.  I read a little while ago that planting radishes 
among the squash plants helps.  Leave the radishes, don't harvest them.  Also 
heard that aluminium foil may deter them, although I'm not sure how or why.

I'm going to try these ideas this year.  They seem safe and cheap, and if they 
don't work, at least I'll get some radishes <g>.

david

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From: [email-masked] (Jerry Heverly)
Date: 14 Mar 1995 18:51:58 -0800

Simons Fam ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Does anybody know of a good organic method of getting rid of squash bugs
: besides hand picking? They totally wiped out my pumpkins and zucchini last
: year.  I tried using the usual Safer products on them in addition to hand
: picking but I couldn't keep up with them.

: Thanks,
: Kay
	I have this from a Univ of California publication, "Biology and 
Control of Common Garden Insect Pests"
	*Squash Bug (Anasa tristis)*....Egg laying occurs early in spring 
in(sic) underside of leaves....Only one generation per year.  Winter 
mortality is high and parasitism of adults by tachinid flies(*Trichopoda 
pennipes*) can be quite high.  Hand collecting of eggs and bugs from 
infested vines is also effective.  Burying infested crop remnants after 
harvest can reduce populations.  Use of resistant squash varieties such 
as butternut, royal acorn and sweet cheese is also effective.  Nasturtium 
plants (*Tropaeolum majus*) repel squash bugs from gardens.  Placement of 
onion skins in newly planted cucumber hills have been used against squash 
bugs.

Jerry Heverly, Instr. of hort, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA
-- 

Jerry Heverly, Oakland, CA

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From: [email-masked] (Gerald Sacks)
Date: 15 MAR 95 09:24:31

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (david devine) writes...

>heard that aluminium foil may deter them, although I'm not sure how or why.

Those sound like the remedies I've heard of for squash vine borers.  Are you
sure they're for squash bugs?  They're two different insects.

Gerald Sacks			[email-masked]