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Squash Vine Borers
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 24 - 1:57 am
- Hi there! Thank you so much for doing this! I have a couple questions on squash vine borers, which have been a HUGE issue in my garden this year. I have been surgically removing the larvae from my curcurbit vines every few days for over two months now (along the way losing both of my zucchini plants and one patty pan squash plant; now I have one patty pan and 4 pumpkin plants remaining). My questions are: How much longer should I expect new larvae to bore into my plants? And is there anything I can do next season to organically prevent these pests (or perhaps control them in a less laborious fashion!)?
- Hello! Thank you for your question. It sounds like you have had a challenging season with this difficult pest. Your surgical removal of the larvae is one part of the solution, and it sounds like you have mastered that particular process. There are other things you can do as well. To answer your first question, it is important to understand the lifecycle of the squash vine borer. Eggs will first appear in our area in May, will hatch in early summer, and then the larvae will bore into the squash stem to feed for up to 4 weeks. When the larvae are mature at 4-6 weeks, they will leave the vine and the dig 1-2 inches in the soil to pupate. In our climate, we can sometimes have 2 generations of larvae in a season. So unfortunately, once infested, this pest can present a problem for most of the growing season. In addition to the surgical removal process of the larvae in the stems, you can also use an organically approved insecticide such as Spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Apply the product on the leaf stems and the main stem of the plant - do not spray the flowers. Apply one of these insecticides once per week during the growing season. It will kill the borer's eggs and larvae quickly. Again, these are organically approved products, and we recommend staying away from any synthetic, non-organic insecticides. Another method for prevention early in the season is to cover the young plants with a floating row cover until flowering occurs. The row cover will keep out the insect in the critical early part of the season, and will still allow sun, water, and air to get to the plant. Once flowering begins, remove the cover to ensure pollination is not disrupted. If or when you do have an infected vine(s), seal them in a plastic bag before the larvae pupate. This will break the lifecycle of the squash vine borer. And finally, the other important practice is to till under all crop debris after harvest, which also disrupts larvae in the soil, and prevents buildup of the squash borer population. Implementation of these practices should minimize the need for constant surgical removal of the larvae, and yield healthier plants and better crop. Good luck, and please reach out with any other questions!
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Squash Bug Control
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Date Posted: Sun, Aug 22 - 3:10 pm
- I have been having a hard year with squash bugs taking over my zucchini plants. I am wondering if you have any tips on how to prepare the soil this winter to decrease their activity next season. Thank you!
- Good morning! Thank you for your question. You are certainly a step ahead in that you have identified the pest, and have probably read about effective means to control and hopefully rid many of the insects during the growing season. Nevertheless, they are difficult to eradicate. You are smart to be thinking about ways to overwinter the garden to minimize the problem next spring. Do you use mulch around your zucchini plants? Mulches give adult squash bugs a place to overwinter, and you want to remove that mulch if you have used it. Straw is a better alternative to use around these plants in the growing season. As fall/winter approaches, you want to be sure and clean your garden of old vines, crop, and leaf debris where adult bugs will hide over the winter. Squash bugs will rarely survive cold winters without places to hide. However, Richmond has been known to have very mild winters, and you surely don't want to give these bugs a place to hide. Once you have removed all debris (and mulch, if you have it), till the soil. This also helps eliminate the pests. If you have the room in your garden (which most city properties do not), it is also helpful to rotate your crops year to year to keep down insect population. But the best thing to do is completely clear the garden of all debris for the winter, and till the soil. One tip for next spring/summer, is to place boards or old shingles on the ground next to the garden (especially at night time). Squash bugs love to hide under these, and they make excellent traps for collecting the bugs in the morning, and then placing the bugs in a bucket of soapy water. And of course, regular inspection during the early growing season to collect these bugs from your plants helps as well. But definitely follow the guidelines for garden cleanup and tilling to properly overwinter, and that will certainly get you off to a clean start in the spring!
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Leafminers...
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:46 pm
- My broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower has white vine like lines on the leaves. What are they and how do I get rid of them. My plants look like they are not thriving now.
- It sounds like you've got leafminers. They have a broad range of host plants and they seem to like your garden. The first thing to do is remove the affected leaves and dispose of them in the trash (not in compost). If you check the underside of the leaf you will most likely see small white eggs, you don't want those to hatch, so straight to the trash. There are several generations of this pest in one season so you will need to keep a close eye out for signs of their existence. You may see eggs, larvae and flys. Sometimes using sticky traps and row covers for the flies works well. If just removing the affected leaves isn't keeping the numbers down you might try using neem oil or beneficial insects such beneficial nematodes or parasitic wasps. I personally haven't had experience with beneficial insects as an intervention so I don't have any particular insight there. Start with removing the affected leaves and checking plants frequently for eggs and tunneling larvae. Good luck and good gardening!
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Holes in lawn
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 10 - 5:17 pm
- I have a large hole, about 4-5 inches across, in the front yard. My neighbor said she thinks she saw a chipmunk go down it. It is very deep. How can I take care of this? Fill it up with dirt? Put a hose down there? Not sure but I don't want animals tunneling under the lawn.
- Hello there, I haven't had a lot experience with this problem but I'll give it a try. It seems that if chipmunks were the problem the hole would be smaller 1-2 inches rather than 4-5. The larger hole would indicate possible ground hogs, raccoons or skunks. Have you noticed the tell-tale odor of skunk?? If not, then perhaps ground hogs or raccoons are giving you this problem. A description of the hole will help you determine which animal is causing the damage. Refer to the internet for images of holes made by each creature. It seems the safest way to deal with unwanted visitors is using a motion-activated light to scare them away. They are active at night looking for grubs, earthworms and other insects. Inexpensive solar-powered lights can be used assuming you have enough sunlight to collect in the place you need to attach the light. Additionally, using predator urine products placed around the outside of the hole can work to keep the pests away. Coyote or dog urine products should work. If you have raccoons or skunks that simply will not leave, you should contact a professional that knows how to handle potentially rabid animals. Best of luck!
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Round nodules on willow tree branches
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:51 pm
- My neighbor's willow oak dropped some branches in a recent storm and we noticed many small round nodules clusters on the branches. I have pictures and can up load if required. Neither of us have ever seen anything like this before. The tree is probably over 100 years old and is in the Museum District. Is this a disease or a parasite?
- Without actually seeing a picture of the infected branch, I believe the most likely issue is related to scale insects on the tree. They will form these nodules and feed on the nutrients in the tree branch tissues. If this is the case, the owner should determine how widespread the issue is throughout the tree. If infection is only in a few areas, or on lower branches, I would recommend cutting out those branch sections, bagging the infected material, and discard. If the infection is visibly more widespread, a safe, organic insecticidal solution spray would be recommended. Good luck, and feel free to reach out with any further questions.
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Insects eating basil leaves
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:47 pm
- Something is eating my basil! Everything else (lettuce, kale, tomatoes, cilantro, arugula) is ok...any suggestions to protect the basil leaves?
- These are likely spider mites or aphids eating your basil leaves. There are two safe, organic solutions which are effective to rid these insects from your basil. The first is a homemade soap spray solution - add 2 teaspoons of mild liquid soap to a gallon of water and use a spray bottle to spray upper and under sides of the leaves. The second is a neem oil solution in a spray bottle - add 2 tablespoons of neem oil (can be purchased at most garden stores) to a gallon of water and spray upper and under sides of leaves. Neem oil will kill the insects and halt reproduction. You can reapply every 7 days. Both solutions described are harmless to humans, birds, or other animals. Good luck! If other questions, please let us know.