Manelli Family wrote:

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

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
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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

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack
Nicholson


I didn't see your post until now Bob. The Tatume are vine borer
resistant and are a tasty squash. Left to grow large they more closely
resemble their cousins, the pumpkins. Haven't tried to store them in the
raw state as we live in USDA Zone 9b and it is generally too warm to
store veggies. The Tatume will grow up an eighty foot oak tree if
planted too close to one so be careful.

I grow them on nylon netting strung on steel fence posts along one edge
of the big garden. I just keep looping the runners back on themselves
and they bear until first frost, generally that is December or January
for us. HTH

George