I’m lucky that where I live in the eastern US there are native parasitoids like the feather legged flies that control the squash bugs so long as I provide them with enough nectar resources. I hope that science will evaluate the ecological safety of introducing feather legged flies into areas where squash bugs have already been introduced since they would definitely love all the flowers in your yard!
Squash is tough to grow here in the very north east without spraying stuff on it. So I don't have to spray I have found a few strategies that work for me in my permaculture garden, We added a garden pond with lots of wide shallow areas and lots of aquatic plants to the middle of our garden. The native frogs and toads moved in. The American toads hang out under my winter squash during the summer. As long as I don't trellis them the toads keep the squash bugs in check. For summer squash I plant one or 2 plants every 2 weeks in different parts of the garden. This way if one plant gets buggy or powdery mildew I can just pull the plant. It works well for us and it reduces the time I spend removing bug eggs off my plants.
I won't have winter squash this year, it's been a really difficult growing season for squash.. Actually every thing is a wash. 105F has made it impossible for my food forest to thrive... BTW Joegardener has a podcast about those pesty stink bugs... They over winter in homes where it's cold or in the garden here in NM they don't only lay on the leaves but on the stems. Also use lint rollers to remove squash bugs, eggs, nymphs... And I no longer compost my squash vines.
I live just down the road from you and have also noticed an increase of squash bugs in the last 2 years. I don't grow cucurbits, but I've been seeing the squash bugs mostly inside my house! It's always the adults, never found any eggs or nymphs in the house. I've been really curious why it's happening, and my best guess has been something about the changing climate, but I can't tell what aspect specifically.
One thing that has been helpful to me is planting a Blue Hubbard it is thier favorite then I can just look on one plant. (at least until you see some then you have to start checking them all)
I had a bunch of Lillie’s planted. Someone decided that since I have them, they would buy an already planted one. I decided to plant it because it is a nice variety. Suddenly, I have tons of lily beetles…. Since then, I try to avoid starts and planting out plants from unknown places.
I've been seeing lots of them this year, mostly on my cucumbers. Thank you for the tip to watch for eggs. So far I've only seen adults. I've been catching them and feeding them to one of my chickens. She's the only one who will eat them. The others make a sound of disgust if I offer them one. In fairness, they do smell quite awful when captured. I'll have to learn what cucumber beetle eggs look like too, they're worse than the squash bugs here. Your garden is so gorgeous! All the colors, shapes and textures weaving together is just lovely.
I kill as many as possible. Juvenilles, adults, eggs. They all get slaughtered in my garden. I'm usually patient with balance...even when for a season it's a little out of balance (my grasshopper population has been really bad, for example....but I'm also seeing far more predators this year). But squash bugs aren't in balance. So I don't feel really bad if they're nearly irradicated in my patch. This year strangely has a low pressure so far. I'm both pleased and mildly disappointed. It's somewhat fun to go hunting for these little stinkers.
I am determined they are not going to get my pumpkins this year, they are a scourge here on Long Island. Thanks for this timely video reminding us to check daily!
Thanks for this, I'm having a serious problem this year and it's now so hot I've been neglecting the garden. You had a furry friend run through your bed around the 7:15 mark, lol.
bruh I get so many of them. I pick the bits off the eggs off by tearing it from the leaf by hand if I do that in the AM and PM and catch some adults I can stay on top of it. but woweeeee it's devastated every year of my crops this is the first time i've gotten to them b4 they;ve hatched.
