"Omelet" wrote in message
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In article ,
"Manelli Family" wrote:

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
George Shirley wrote:
Manelli Family wrote:

What are you guys doing for Squash Vine Borers? Sevin dust and the
organics don't work anymore for us.

I've had good luck with beneficial nematodes seeded into the ground,
they
get a lot of the SVB's while they are still in the ground. Otherwise
look
for the frasse, caterpillar poop, then squash the worms. Hard to get
ahead of them unless you're checking twice a day.

George



Do the borers bother those Tatume squash, George? The stems (except
for
the leaf stems) are solid instead of hollow like a bush squash. So the
borers are supposed to just kill a couple of leaves and not the whole
vine -- plus the vines root at every node which gives them some
additional
insurance against borers.

I've had more trouble with cucumber beetles than borers.

Both are a constant nightmare here every summer. The beetles are getting
harder to kill as well.


Bob

Would regular treatment with BT help?
I've never been able to grow squash at all due to those damned things.
:-(

As far as I know that only works on those worms that feed on cabbage family
plants and horn worms on tomatoes. I can be wrong.

I've tried the slitting and squashing the borers but the plants always
managed to die or were so sick they produced almost nothing afterward even
when the vine was covered with soil. I'd end up ripping them out and
burning them.

The products we have now are almost useless for insect control. The insects
and bugs have developed a good immunity to just about anything you'll find
on the store shelves. Those that worked, like Kelthane for mites, Dursban
and Chlordane were taken off the market - or you need a lic. to purchase
them. I'd like to know what the commercial growers are using.


--
Peace, Om

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