Act Now to Protect Squash Plants from Vine Borer

Squash Vine Borer Moth

Have you ever ventured into the garden in early summer and found your squash or zucchini plants have collapsed, seemingly overnight? If so, you know firsthand how destructive squash vine borer can be to all types of squash, zucchini, and pumpkins. These deadly pests are actively laying eggs on squash plants in our area. Once the eggs hatch and the borers enter squash stems little can be done to kill them, making now the time to act to protect your squash and zucchini plants from imminent destruction.

Both organic and synthetic pesticides are available to control squash vine borer, but timing is the key to effectiveness. Once the borer enters the squash stem treating with insecticides is a waste of time. To protect plants, insecticides must be applied just before the eggs hatch; this will be occurring over the next four to five weeks in our area. 

To learn more about this pest and find out which organic and synthetic insecticides can be used for control see the whole article on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+184