Ok last time I grew pumpkins, these boogers destroyed my plants and
I had them in EACH VINE. I'm growing squash plants now, and I do NOT
want to go through this again. I have spotted the moths, and
recognized them. I also looked closely and spotted the eggs
throughout several plants. I immediately sprayed a liquid BT
application on the whole plants. I then used Dipel Dust (BT) to dust
them (just incase)... but the rain came today and im sure it washed
it all off. What should I do to prevent the eggs from hatching, or
prevent the larvae from entering the plants. Also how long do they
take to hatch?

Thanks,


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Beerme said:


Ok last time I grew pumpkins, these boogers destroyed my plants and
I had them in EACH VINE. I'm growing squash plants now, and I do NOT
want to go through this again. I have spotted the moths, and
recognized them. I also looked closely and spotted the eggs
throughout several plants. I immediately sprayed a liquid BT
application on the whole plants. I then used Dipel Dust (BT) to dust
them (just incase)... but the rain came today and im sure it washed
it all off.

Bt sprays or dust won't control SVBs.

Bt solution injected into the vines after borers have entered them may help.

What should I do to prevent the eggs from hatching, or
prevent the larvae from entering the plants. Also how long do they
take to hatch?

Pick off any eggs you spot. Spray the base of the vines and the stems of
the leaves where they touch the ground with a pyrethrum-based insecticide.
DO NOT spray the flowers or leaves, just the areas where the SVB eggs
might be laid. (I used to rely entirely on hand-picking the eggs, but then
again I used to be much younger, too.)

Do this every 24 - 36 hours until you no longer see signs of SVB moth
activity. My experience has been that if you don't hand pick / spray
this frequently, you will get some eggs hatching. (Pyrethrum doesn't
have a residual effect.)

Once squash vine have really begun to run and root at intervals along
the vine, they are able to tolerate a light infestation of borers.

Bush squash, on the other hand, remain quite vulnerable throughout the
season. Some areas have more than one generation of SVBs during
the growing season.


--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored

I HATE those vine borers. I put up a lattice on my front porch so I could
grow miniature pumpkins, small squash and gourds. Since the plants grow up
into the air, they are very vulerable to the vine borers at the base.

I have read that it can help to wrap the first few feet in nylons
(pantihose), but I have not tried that myself.

In the next year or two, some genetically engineered vine crops are
supposed to come out that have the genetic capability to automatically kill
the larvae when they start to eat.

Another possibility to use ONLY if nobody is going to make pies, or eat
any of the pumpkins: you could use something like di-syston systemic
insecticide. This is a powder you apply at the base of plants, usually
ornamentals. The plant takes the insecticide up into its sap, and any
insect that feeds on the plant dies. Trouble is, if you try to feed on the
plant, you could get sick or die, too. This would work out fine for you if
you are just wanting jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins for fall decorations.
However, you would have to make absolutely certain that nobody was going to
try to use any of them for food purposes.