Archived Gardening Message Boards
Topic: Landscaping & Garden Care
<< Back to message boards home
<< Back to
Landscaping & Garden Care
View Thread:
pumpkin pest
pumpkin pest
Posted by Leslie
from MO
on 2001-03-20 16:08:35
vines were destroyed by a grey
beetle-type insect. There were literally
thousands of them when we pulled up the
vines in the fall! I dusted with Sevin
in the spring, then didn't do anything
else until I noticed a lot of the bugs
were there (I should have been paying
better attention, I know). I sprayed
everything, but it was too late. Once
they killed my pumpkin vines, they
moved into my cantaloupe (which were
ruined anyway because of too much rain
late in the summer). Is there something
I can do to prevent these bugs from
invading my garden again?
-
Squash bug
While most books describe the Squash bug
Posted by Kimm from 4b/5a on 2001-03-20 16:09:42
as dark brown to black the pictures I've
seen could indicate a grey beetle type
insect. These guys (and gals) prefer
pumpkins but will go after other
cucurbits as well and the adults
overwinter in the garden laying eggs
that hatch in 1 to 2 weeks in late
spring. The youngest nymphs are a pale
green turning to a grey powdery color as
they mature. You can find the shiny
yellow eggs on the bottom side of the
plant leaves in groups and as the time
of hatch approaches the eggs turn a dark
red. Floating row covers offer some
protection, as long as there are no
adults left under the covers, but since
there have been found some of these
buggers that have developed resistance
to carbaryl it probably is no longer
effective. Keep any adult beetles
picked. Radishes, nasturtiums, and
marigolds have been shown to be
repellant to these buggers so a few
planted in among the pumpkins can also
help.-
I'll try it
I've ordered lots of marigold seeds to
Posted by Leslie from Mo on 2001-03-20 16:10:45
plant around my pumpkins and cantaloupe.
I'll let you know how things go.
-
