Sue writes:
I guess they're white flies - itty bitty absolutely white flying
thingies. I had them early on and sprayed with BugBGone. However,
now that I'm getting the zucchini I don't want to use any commercial
poison. Any ideas? Do they really hurt anything (aside from the fact

Do you have a power cord long enough to take your Hoover to the zucchini
plants? If so, fashion something to fit on the end of the suction hose,
e.g., from a funnel and nylon fly screen. so that you can bring the hose
close to the leaves and *gently* suck the white fly off the leaf without
sucking in the leaf itself. No, I haven't tried it. Alternatively, shake
the plants to cause the flies to become airborne and sweep the vac
through the air to catch them on the wing.

Perhaps use very fine gauze like stretched stocking to make a butterfly
net to catch airborne flies on the wing? There is a different method using
a bright yellow colour to lure the fly. Smear petroleum jelly over
something you have painted bright yellow so the flies get stuck when they
land on it.

I'm not missing any of the females in my morning rounds. Do sometimes
the blossoms simply not open so can't be pollinated?

I've never observed a zucchini bud not open.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)