In my past experiments with summer row covers, I found that
sometimes I was trapping pests under the covers. Unsupported
fabric, even though it was lightweight, wore on the plants. Lack
of air circulation encouraged fungus. And then there is the problem
of nothing getting pollinated under the cover.

In fact, someone just told me that if you've had SVBs in the past, the
progeny are likely in the soil underneath, so tight row covers just
protect them.


I did really well last summer with a combination of hand inspection
and removal of eggs (when the plants were small) and pyrethrin
sprays *carefully directed on the stems* (especially near the base)
once the plants got too bulky to hand-inspect.

Yep, I think I'm convinced. Hand inspection can be pretty time
consuming, but carefully directed spraying is a strategy that I'm
willing to adopt.


(Yesterday I spent much of the day cooking, mashing, packing and
freezing squash from last fall's harvest. Today, pumpkin waffles for
breakfast! With home-made spiced apple jelly!!)

Wonderful! Congratulations on your harvest. Pumpkin waffles sound like
a great idea.