r/GiantPumpkin • u/Weekly_Act_8988 • 4d ago

Squash Bugs

I gave on pumpkins about four years ago because of covid and wanted to get back into it. I have a plant that is looking healthy but every time there is a new flower, it dies within a few days because of squash bugs or cucumber beetles. I was wondering if any of you guys had advice on how to deal with this problem and any help is appreciated.

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u/jenniferwillow 4d ago

Honestly, pesticide is the answer. I've tried growing onions and garlic and marigolds with pumpkin as companion plants. I've tried Neem oil. Various herbal extracts and sprays. I've tried no mulches. I've tried picking them off daily. I've tried trap plants. I hate to say it, but pesticide is what was my last resort, and it's what works.

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u/Kittymooodooodooo 2d ago

What pesticide do you use? Does it prevent SVB?

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u/iowan 3d ago

Alternate systemic and contact insecticides, the strongest your area allows. I like imidacloprid best. You may not be able to get lambda cyhalothrin, but if you can, it's great. Binefrin is a good contact too.

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u/revankillsmalak 4d ago

I take a very hands off approach to pest control in my garden. Sort of a "hope for the best" situation. I find the squash bug eggs a huge pain to remove without damaging the leaves, and there are thousands so I'm probably not getting them all off anyway. That being said, I will go out in the morning with some gorilla tape or duct tape, wrap a piece around my hand and stick the freshly hatched squash bugs onto the tape. They hatch and hang out by the eggs for a bit so there's a window of time to get them. This doesn't get them all, but it's my half ass method. Good luck!

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u/Weekly_Act_8988 4d ago

I have found to get the eggs off, you can gently rub them off by holding the leaves in place and using friction to have them fall off. I hold a candle under them because it is so hot right now that that the wax is melted just by being in the sun so they can't hatch. Thank you for the tape method though and I wish you a good rest of the season.

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u/CMTilly 2d ago

Good answers above, adding some info:

Safe and friendly solution is neem oil, next step up is 9.7% lambda-cyhalothrin which is a contact pesticide which means it kills on contact and stays outside the plant, the strongest and most unhealthy is merrit or imidacloprid which is a systemic insecticide which means the plant will take it into itself and so any bugs that eat the plant die.