Q & A

Welcome to the Planet Natural Garden Forum! Whether you’re new to gardening or have been at it for some time, here you can search existing messages for answers to your questions or post a new message for others to reply to. If this is your first visit, please read over our forum instructions carefully before posting. Enjoy!

  • Organic Pesticide for Squash Bugs

    Created by Gail on

    Could you recomend an organic solution to my squash bug infestation? I looked at a couple of your pesticides but nothing specifically mentions squash bugs, Thank-you!

  • Author
    Posts
  • #203955

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hi Gail –

    Found throughout much of the United States squash bugs can be a destructive garden pest and are often found en-mass on leaves, vines and fruits of pumpkins, cucumbers and winter squash. To manage squash bugs organically we recommend the following solutions:

    • Inspect plants frequently, and If numbers are low, hand-pick all stages from the undersides of leaves.
    • Place boards near garden plants. Used as a nighttime shelter, they make excellent traps for morning collecting.
    • Row covers can be left on plants until they are old enough to tolerate some damage.
    • Diatomaceous earth can be dusted over plants to reduce pest numbers.
    • If pest numbers get too high, apply Tomato & Vegetable Insect Killer or Pyganic EC 1.4 to crops. Both are OMRI Listed for use in organic production and should be spot sprayed to minimize harm to beneficial insects.
    • Clean up gardens shortly after harvest to minimize overwintering sites.

    Hope this helps!

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.