Squash Bugs

Well, it happened. My beautiful yellow neck and zucchini squash, dead and flattened to the ground, attacked by some unknown pest. Last year I thought it had been roly poly bugs and had spread the compost out early before planting to release the bugs to the top of the soil to either roly poly off or be eaten by birds. I felt somewhat confident that I would not have that pest to contend with since there were no roly polys in sight at planting. But, I have discovered a new garden nemesis, the squash bug, or so I think. I never actually saw this bug. My friend told me that they had destroyed his plants.

I was out of town for 6 days and my squash plants went from this....

....to this in just a few short days.

I think that I am giving up now on planting yellow neck and zucchini since this is the third year that I have grown great foliage only to have the plants destruct before the sight of any vegetable. I did however get three beautiful straight neck yellow squash. The plant itself had grown rigorously from the small seedling that I started in the cold frame. They had survived the month long stretch uncovered in the garden after the cold frame theft. See blog entry, March 27, 2010 for details. I had babied them along in the garden, suspiciously wondering if in fact they would make it. How did the real pioneers manage crop failure? It was a matter of life and death, whether or not your family lived or starved. Me, I'll just buy my veggies at the farmer's market or grocery where someone else has figured out how to keep off squash bugs. But, what was it truly like back them?

On the internet, I did find a few ways to control squash bugs. One being physically picking off the bugs, another being better variety selection as there seems to be certain varieties more or less susceptible to the pest. Planting catnip, tansy, radishes, nasturtiums, marigolds, bee balm and mint may help repel the bug to some degree. As well as by adding to the garden environment natural enemies of the bugs like spiders and ground beetles and other beneficial insects that might curb the population. Me, I have determined my solution to pest control, I just won't plant them next year and use that precious garden space for something a little bit more pest hardy and heat loving like okra or eggplant. I love my summer squash, so I will see you at the local farmer's market instead!