Insecticides can be used but will be most effective on young nymphs than the older adults.However, remember to prepare for frost protection if planting early. Plant earlier in the season, in early April, will allow you to harvest squash before squash bug populations’ increase.Squash bugs will congregate under them at night and then come morning, you can destroy/dispose of them Place boards, pieces of newspaper, or cardboard out in the garden near plants. Since they are “shy” you can set a trap for them. They will run quickly for cover when disturbed so you will have to hunt for them on the underside of leave and in center of the plant.
Look for copper colored egg masses on underside of leaves and crush them or tear off that part of the leaf to destroy/dispose of them.Squash bugs can simply be knocked off into a bucket of soapy water.Frequent scouting and handpicking are effective, especially when you have only a few squash plants to care for.Early control is essential, not just because younger plants are more prone to damage but also because they are more difficult to kill the older they get.to help the squash plants to be more tolerable of insect damage. It is important to keep plants healthy and avoid stresses like lack of water, close spacing, etc.Squash bugs can also hide out in mulch, so removing mulch may also be necessary where populations are increasing.Since squash bugs overwinter on plant debris, it is important to do a good clean up in the fall by removing all plant debris.There are several strategies listed below for controlling squash bugs: Squash bug feeding can reduce yields and eventually can cause plant death. A squash bug’s damage will also disrupt flow of water and nutrients to leaves causing the leaves to wilt. The leaves will eventually turn brown and die. The symptoms that show up on squash plants will be yellow spots on the leaves where they have fed. Squash bugs have straw-like or piercing-sucking mouthparts they stick in the plant and suck the sap out similar to how we would drink from a juice box. It takes about 5 weeks for the squash bug to complete its life cycle from egg to adult.Īn adult female squash bugs laying cluster of eggs on underside of squash leaf. The adult bugs are brownish-black and about 5/8” long. As they grow, they turn light gray as they become adults. The newly hatched nymphs will have a black head and legs with light green bodies. The eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks, typically from mid-May to mid-June. The females will lay clusters of about 20 bronze/copper colored eggs on the underside of leaves, commonly where two leaf veins meet to form a V, or on the stems. When they emerge, they seek out squash plants to feed on. The life cycle of the squash bugs begins with the adult bugs overwintering in protected areas like under plant debris and then emerge in the spring. This insect can be a serious pest problem on not only squash but also zucchini, and pumpkin plants. However, one challenge when growing squash is having to deal with a common pests called squash bug. Squash is a popular summer vegetable we often try to grow in our gardens. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning.
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