Stinkbugs and summer squash

[alfadan]

Last year and this Ive been having an infestation of stinkbugs on my squash plants. I'm trying diatomaceous earth this year to avoid pesticides. Anyone have success with this?

Last year most of my plants would just wilt and die, like they were starving. The roots and stem seemed to rot. Is it the stinkbugs or something else entirely?

[HWooldridge]

Stinkbugs will tear up squash. I usually dust with sulfur - seems to keep them away if I'm habitual with it. Dust after any rain or overhead watering, or at least weekly.

Although they are pesticides, anything that's primarily pyrethrin is pretty innocuous to humans and animals. I've sprayed Demon WP around the house and seen geckos walk through it unharmed - it typically only kills bugs that clean and groom themselves (which is most of the common ones in the garden).

[Shawlerbrook]

If you go the pesticide route then Sevin is safe and breaks down quickly. If not try a solution of mild soap and water. There are actually commercial solutions of that .

[Geezer in NH]

Sevin the bugs. Rot off the bottom is a cutworm that you prepare for by putting cups around the plant base early. I hate stinkbugs and other squash bugs.

[alfadan]

Thanks fellas. Im a bit more concerned with not harming the bees. I'll look into the cup thing too.

[farmbif]

a little bit of dawn, some white vinegar and water will kill stink bugs if you spray it on them.
this is also good for killing weeds and poison ivy if you dilute salt in hot water and add to vinegar soap mixture
there are some organic insecticidal soaps that might help with stink bugs too.
sticky traps work well also make your own with this kind of stuff
https://www.amazon.com/018441950082-...a-914610177073

ive stopped using just about all poisons and herbicides since watching my cousin suffer with leukemia after many years of herbicides and pesticides around the farm.

[GregLaROCHE]

Today it’s wise to think about the effects of pesticides on humans as well as bees. I hate those stink bugs, especially when they get into the house.

[pworley1]

Sevin

[farmerjim]

As a farmer I used permethrin for stink bugs. Spray the squash in the afternoon as all the squash flowers are wilted. There will not be any bees on them to be harmed. I keep bees and haven't lost a hive to insecticide. Permethrin is a quick kill for most insects and has a short life.

[crowbuster]

sounds like vine bore as well. d.e. gets em. dawn for squash bugs. check and spray often. hate em

[Thundarstick]

Sure you don't have squash bugs and squash vine bore, instead of stink bugs? Your fighting a losing battle! THE absolute best thing I've ever found for squash is Bayer BioAdvanced Fruit,Citrus, and Vegetable insect control! It's a nicatinoid (imidacloprid) that's mixed and poured on the plants just as they are emerging. It's taken up by the roots and makes the plant toxic to chewing and stuck insects. You apply it once a season and your squash will live insect free to frost!

[MrWolf]

Hate stink bugs. They caused a short in my electric panel (along with those Asian Lady Bugs - ones that bite) for my whole house generator and caused one leg in to short. Cost me a furnace that took over three weeks to get a new one installed back in end of December into January. Was not fun. PSE&G guy advised spraying for them twice a year around the panel as it is not uncommon out here. Found a stink bug spray that seems to be working so far.

[alfadan]

I think I have both actually. I will look into the Bayer stuff, sounds interesting.

[Thundarstick]

Your probably too late to the game for this season. Use it next season and you'll think it's magic!

[alfadan]

Does sound like magic! I have sprayed them with soapy water, but it seems we get big rainy weeks which keeps me out of the muddy garden, and they (and the dang weeds!) to party-on. Always hard work, but I do enjoy it.

[BrassMagnet]

Diatomaceous earth works well on all beetles. You will need a duster to apply it. Don't breathe it in!
You will want to dust underneath every leaf or it will be ineffective. There are more beetles under leaves than on top of them.

I hate squash beetles.

[quack1]

I had problems with squash bugs on my butternut squash, some years worse than others. Once, when weeding, I saw a preying mantis eating a squash bug. The light bulb went on. That winter I looked for mantis egg masses when I was hunting or working the dog. Since then, I have put a couple egg masses in a small cage of hardware cloth (to keep birds, mice and chipmunks from eating them) in a bush near the garden every winter. The young mantises disperse pretty quickly, since they are cannibalistic, but some stick around and keep my squash pretty clear of squash bugs and grasshoppers. No chemicals needed.

[BrassMagnet]

I had problems with squash bugs on my butternut squash, some years worse than others. Once, when weeding, I saw a preying mantis eating a squash bug. The light bulb went on. That winter I looked for mantis egg masses when I was hunting or working the dog. Since then, I have put a couple egg masses in a small cage of hardware cloth (to keep birds, mice and chipmunks from eating them) in a bush near the garden every winter. The young mantises disperse pretty quickly, since they are cannibalistic, but some stick around and keep my squash pretty clear of squash bugs and grasshoppers. No chemicals needed.

Nice!

[alfadan]

Well I'm not seeing significant results with DE spread around the base of the plant where they all seem to hang out. I may go the Seven route as I've had success with that on other things. I'm losing more plants with all this heat not helping things.

They're laying their eggs on top of the leaves this year. I thought they only laid on the bottoms?