14 Tips For Dealing With Squash Vine Borers!

[@DreamGyrl360]

Wow. Never seen the egg. Now I know what to look for -- last year was our first year dealing with squash and we were positively heartbroken when the borers tore them up. The plants were beautiful and healthy before then!

[@MidwestGardener]

Glad I could help a little! I know what you mean about being heart broken. They can go very quickly.

[@unoriginal1086]

@@MidwestGardener For me, there were 8 borers in 2 plants, I think 6 in 1 and 2 in the other. I cut open the plants, took out the borers, and fed them to my turtles, but there was one area that was new growth on the one with fewer borers that is re-rooting and so we might still have some more zuchinni this year! I was trying to root 3 pieces, but another maggot turned up inside those ones and they started shriveling up (so I stabbed him).

[@strongereveryday1891]

This was my first year! And I got hit with borders AND squash bugs. Had no idea. Lost everything.

[@twinfin8571]

I planted my first zucchini last year and was amazed at the big beautiful leaves! I took pictures of it and the one little zucchini that was on it. The next week the plant was dead. I didn’t know about those ugly little bores. This year I have two plants and I covered them. They haven’t flowered yet but I’ll hand pollinate and go from there. I can’t imagine trying to grow several of these. If they don’t make it this year, I’ll try one more time….planting in July instead of May. Maybe the moths will be gone by then. Actually, I could plant one in July this year! Hmmmm.

[@Combat_Pyro]

You kind of mentioned this, but we cover the main stem of the plant all the way to the first set of leaves with a thick layer of mulch. I think BT works as a pretreatment as well, if you spray the plants before any eggs hatch then the BT is on the surface of the stem when the borer goes to bore into the stem. Just that little bit of BT is enough to kill them fairly quickly. You may still get a hole or partial hole in the stem, but the worm dies quickly after ingesting the BT.

[@MidwestGardener]

So the BT is working well for you then? I know it is supposed to work, but it didn't work all that well for me. I supposed if you are in an area that isn't getting much rain. Having to reapply multiple times a week when it's really rainy can be a pain. I also tried planting radishes around a squash this year and that didn't work either.

[@sulebo2153]

I've been cruising gardening and homesteading channels for 5 years and just found you! This video is EXCELLENT! Very comprehensive, good descriptions and video closeups. Thanks for the tips and I'll start browsing all your videos :)

[@MidwestGardener]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm glad that you found the video to be useful. That is what I'm usually shooting for :) It always makes my day to hear for folks who got some use out of them.

[@MidwestGardener]

@@debracollins4102 Thanks Debra! I really do appreciate that!

[@gatorgrissom9141]

The best defense I use is to keep covering the stem with soil/compost. If you can keep Yellow Squash/Zucchini alive long enough they put out another plant and another and... Last year I had a Crookneck Yellow put out six plants. As it grows the next plant cover the stem “joint” with soil so it will put down roots. Then if one dies the rest can survive.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks a bunch for the tip.

[@ale347baker]

I was wondering if I could do that, or if it would rot the zucchini. Mine has damage already at the base, I didn't notice. The top looks really healthy though. Should I cover it if its damaged? Can it cause rot?

[@cooler.teacher]

@@ale347bakerI would like to know too

[@novalisa2689]

I wish I read this before following someone else's advice to cut all the suckers off 😢

[@paigeelliott5221]

Wow. Best. Video. Ever. On squash borers. So thorough. Thank you for taking the time to cover all the bases and then to get to all the points! Very helpful.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thank you very much, Paige! I really do appreciate that. Even after all of that, I still feel defeated by them. They are relentless little squash killing machines. I've found that for me, the best solution is to grow varieties of squash that are resistant. Of course, that leaves out some of my favorites.

[@yolandakelley8959]

Thank you so much for the help! Im a new gardener & most of the time I'm clueless. The internet has been such a helpful tool & your video just saved my future pumpkins. This year's crop is already infiltrated, but next year I'm going in prepared. Can't thank you enough!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for that, Yolanda! Sorry to hear about this year's crop. I have to tell you though, even armed with thus information, pumpkins can be challenging to grow where there is a large number of borers. I'm a little stubborn though, and I hate to let them beat me.

[@yolandakelley8959]

I plan to try several of your techniques next year(including moving the crop to avoid reinfestation). They should have picked a different garden. Challenge Accepted. I'm bringing my A-game next year & it'll be a fight to the death...their death of course...not my pumpkins 😉

[@MidwestGardener]

Lol, I like your spirit! Gotta stay positive. The bugs seem to be having a very active year here. Just one of those years I guess. Good luck!

[@yolandakelley8959]

Midwest Gardener. thank you

[@marycaskey8863]

I bought four inch zucchini plants from a grower and got them in real early, May 12. I was able to get a large crop before I was hit. Then did another planting the 1st of July. The early planting did the trick before I really had a lot of damage. I also used cock-a-doodle do chicken manure so I had beautiful, strong plants. Three plants gave me 87 zucchini before I was destroyed by the devil bore.

[@thomasnovak2736]

This was very helpful. I noticed a "cool" looking insect in the garden two days ago. I thought it was a pollinator. I looked up local pollinators and eventually found a photo of the Squash vine borer. In all of my years in Cleveland I have never once seen one. Now I see it and the eggs are everywhere. Even on the butternut. They're not only on the base they're all over the vine. I've picked them off and squashed them. Either way, I'm not too concerned because all of the Squash are volunteers from my compost so I just let them go. That being said, I don't want some little bug to kill my plants, lol. Thanks for the video. It was very helpful.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Thomas! I still haven't found anything that works great yet. This year I'm growing Green Striped Cushaw which is supposed to be resistant to them, so we will see how that goes. Good luck with yours!

[@Vivacior]

Love the steady-cam.... refreshing... Great video thanks!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks a bunch Jerry! Much appreciated!

[@rosewood513]

Thank you so much for this very extensive leaning video. I used to live in a cold climate and I never even knew there were vine borers or squash bugs, life was grand. Then I moved to Tn. and they have become the bane of my existence. As soon as I learned how to keep the squash bugs at bay the vine borers came along and ruined most of my squash. My next defense is to grow (succession planting) a late crop of squash in containers with new soil and use netting. I will have to hand pollinate but if it works it is well worth it. I really appreciate the effort it took to show this fantastic video. Thank you.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, and thank you very much for the kind words! Yes, people who have never had to deal with squash vine borers really have no idea. I'm too lazy so far to hand pollinate, so the best solution for me is to grow resistant varieties.....but that leaves out some of my favorites. Good luck!

[@Just-Nikki]

Love these simple ways to address the issues. I appreciate ya 🙏🏼

[@MidwestGardener]

Hey, thanks for that Nikki! There isn't a good solution to the problem of Squash Vine Borers, but these are some of the things that you can try. Probably the most effective thing you can do is grow resistant varieties of squash.

[@CToyeIV]

This has been the most helpful video! I now have so many great preventative tools for next year after a horrible gardening season of dealing with squash borers

[@MidwestGardener]

Glad I could help, Charles! I don't know if you read any of the comments, but this year I grew Green Striped Cushaw. It's resistant to squash vine borers, and it survived the whole summer and I recently harvested some really nice ones. The largest was 24 pounds.

[@womanoftheozarks]

I really appreciate the time put into this issue of squash borers. Your insight is so helpful. Thank you Sir. I also understand if we wait until much later in the season, if you live in climate so you can, that it passes the sq. bugs & borers and may have a better chance. peace & blessings

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Candace! Yes, planting later in the season is one way to beat them. You have to have a good idea when they stop laying eggs in your area though. I planted squash late in the season here, just to monitor egg laying activity. Most years, they stop laying eggs here about the end of August. So if I started some and kept them covered until that date, then I could feel pretty safe about uncovering them so the bees could get at them.

[@americanhottopics7373]

Great video! I've been gardening for 45 years and did not know where these darn things came from. Thank you and I am now subscribed!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thank you very much for subscribing. Now that you know though, your blood pressure might go up every time you see the moths that lay the eggs.

[@michellebarnet2292]

Thanks for showing the egg. Got to check now!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! Good luck, Michelle!

[@vickiswift3501]

Thank you for all the great advice. I just lost all 8 plants I planted this spring. I am trying to learn how to fight these little monsters as I was so disappointed I didn't get any squash this year after all my hard work daily in my garden. I would always find them too late. I am a newbie to gardening so your videos are very helpful. Thank you!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Vicki! I feel your pain on the squash vine borers. The bad thing about them is that sometimes you don't even realize you have them until the plant is almost dead. Glad you found it useful. I haven't' found a fool proof method yet, but I'm still working on it.

[@vickiswift3501]

That is my situation. I would come out and find my plant totally severed in half and laying on it's side. Very depressing for my first garden. I will try again this fall as I hear it's easier to grow them later after mating season is done. *Fingers crossed* :)

[@MidwestGardener]

Well, I guess we are going to be both growing late squash. I have a couple of small ones in grow bags, and just planted some seeds that haven't sprouted yet. I plan to do frequent inspections for eggs, and might try to experiment with covering a couple of them. Fingers crossed here too. Let me know how it goes.

[@vickiswift3501]

Will do. :) Thank you!

[@cliattjohn2187]

Thanks. I gave up on squash because to those critters. Now I know what to look for.

[@MidwestGardener]

Glad that I could help! Another way to go is to grow Cucurbita moscata varieties. They are usually more resistant to squash vine borers.

[@stevenberry434]

I've battled these monsters for years. Some years I lose my crop after just a few weeks of production, other years I manage to keep them (and the squash bugs) at bay through the end of the growing season. My most successful method so far for treating an infestation has been to cut them out and cover the damaged area with soil, but I learned some new techniques from this video that I will definitely try this year. Thanks for the tips!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the information on how you've dealt with them, Steven! I haven't even planted any yet this year. Last year was so bad for them, that it's something I'm still thinking about. If I plant again, I think I might plant a little late, cover till they bloom, then use BT to spray the outside, then if any make it still, maybe inject BT.

[@stevenberry434]

Midwest Gardener well, your video already paid off for me. Tonight after work I checked my 4 zucchini plants and found and removed 8 vine borer eggs. I feel like I bought an extra three or four weeks of production. I am going to treat tomorrow with BT as an extra protection. I am SO glad I saw this video!

[@MidwestGardener]

Hey Steven, that's awesome! I feel great that I could help. Comments like yours make doing the next video much easier. Thanks for taking the time to let me know about the eggs. And I hope you get lots of zucchini!

[@inhibited44]

I haven't seen squash borers yet and it's July 9th. My garden normally gets nailed by them. the difference this year is that my neighbor cut down a bunch of trees , so my plants aren't shaded now. Maybe the bugs don't like strong sun, because I haven't seen the plants getting sick yet.

[@anicedoak5816]

Very nice video. Thanks. You have layed out a methodical approach to dealing with a discouraging problem clearly and concisely. I know now what has to happen my remaining acorn squash plants. They’re going under the knife. Thanks again.

[@MidwestGardener]

Good luck! and thanks for taking the time to comment! I'm growing Green Striped Cushaw this year, and so far, I haven't seen a squash bug, or squash vine borer. It's been great!

[@KGNAHDEE-a.k.a.PeanutsnCorn]

I WILL TRY TO USE A PLASTIC WRAP ON THE STEM BOTTOM, IT IS A TEST/EXPERIMENT

[@abbyjeff6303]

what a plethora of information and suggestions! thank you

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome!

[@daughterofthekingofkings222]

Thank you. I am learning about this pest issue so this is very helpful info 👍

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@marysorganicgardenjournal8616]

I've used BT with mixed results Sprayed with clay last year Started looking for eggs early and pick them off. Some plants had over 50 eggs! Going to try Row covers this year as well . Good luck

[@MidwestGardener]

Sounds like you are plagued by them about like we are. I've pretty much given up growing zucchini. It's just too much work for me. I haven't tried row covers though.

[@msyeroful]

Saw one of these moths for the first time today! It was flying around my cucumber plants. Not interested in the blossoms but liked the stems. Had difficulty identifying it until I looked up insects harmful to cucumbers. Then I found your videos! Thank you for this information!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome. They are one of my least favorite insects. They can be so frustrating.

[@nancywebb6549]

I actually found Cucumbers that self pollenate. They are Bush and I will cover them with tulle and leave them covered. Hopefully I will get some Cucumbers. They are H19 Little Leaf from High Mowing Seeds and Diva from Swallowtail Seeds.

[@C3Voyage]

Way to go! All of the tips at our finger tips! Nice job Jim. Brent

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks, Brent. Just wish some of these worked better. I'm trying to come up with a game plan for next year, since they kicked my butt this year.

[@C3Voyage]

Like I said, let me know if you find the answer. Brent

[@anitarice9609]

I used row covers last year. Had ZERO issues with bugs of any type. I did have to hand pollinate, which was a bit of a pain.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing that, Anita! Yes, that is a good option of you don't mind doing the pollinating. I guess as long as you don't have too many plants to do. Zero issues does sound pretty good :)

[@paulk5311]

i hand pollinated last year because honeybees are scarce around here. had to do it with my squash and cucumbers.

[@Just-Nikki]

paul k me too, where are you located if you don’t mind me asking?

[@brendabadih8855]

Monoculture is a big part of the problem. Interplanting is part of my defensive and offensive schedule. Dont wait and cross your fingers. Before the seed pops have sheduled intervention, from planting masking partners to spraying kaolin, bt, and stem mulching. Enjoy your winter crops (Houston) or just kick back watch the snow fall (Missouri).

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the tips.

[@gn6300]

You've given this problem a lot of thought. Thanks for the info and sharing your experiences.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Gerald! They frustrate the heck out of me, so I was hoping that this might help a few people who were having problems with them.

[@gn6300]

Midwest Gardener It's a different generation we come from... instead of complaining, fix the problem. If I am confronted by a problem, I come up with several potential solutions before I get someone else's input.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Gerald, I think I came up with 14 potential solutions before I asked for input. I'm sharing that information, and in turn, other people share what they know, and together, we can maybe reach a consensus on what might be the best solution. But then again, maybe we won't. I think it's worth a try though. Sorry if I seem like a whiner, but like I mentioned before, they frustrate the heck out of me. Have a great day!

[@gn6300]

Midwest Gardener - You are no whiner. I deeply apologize if I had inadvertently given you the impression that I suggested such. You are furthest from a whiner. You are an industrious, resourceful, problem solver. I'm struggling to teach my grand children this. It's easy to complain - it's better to address the problem.

[@rosewood513]

Excellent video. When I was young and stupid I grew all my cucumbers and zucchini in the same spot for over 15 years I only had squash borers once. That was up north now that I moved to Tn. I have more bugs than I can count. I saved a zucchini by injecting BT and water into the bugs with a hypodermic needle I squirted a tiny bit all along the stem where it looked like they were.. It was saved and is now producing. I have learned a lot from your video. I will subscribe and like. Thank you very much.

[@MidwestGardener]

I'm glad that you were able to save your plant using BT. One thing that I've found is that you pretty much have to inspect your plants daily, or they will get the upper hand. Thank you very much for the great comment and for subscribing! I very much appreciate it! I'm growing Green Striped Cushaw this year, which is supposed to be resistant to borers. I picked a few eggs off of one vine when it was small. Other than that, I haven't seen any sign of damage to them. They are just now getting a few squash bugs on them. The vines are growing in all directions though :) Good luck with the rest of the growing season!

[@rosewood513]

Thank you. You are so right.

[@Loolieful]

Yellow is my new favorite color in the garden!

[@MidwestGardener]

I understand.

[@LucyJazzy85]

IKR ... ⚠️⚠️⚠️

[@MsKala88]

Thank you for all of the suggestions.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! None of them are fool proof. Growing resistant varieties works best for me.

[@MsKala88]

@@MidwestGardener I have them in my zucchini and spaghetti squash, but the plants still appear healthy. One zucchini stopped producing zucchini and I don't know if that is because of the borer or if I need to cut back the abundant amount of leaves the plant has. Also, on my spaghetti squash ...most of the squash looks great except yesterday I noticed white ooz pus coming out of the bottom. Do you know what that is from? Slime came out of the bottom of a zucchini too once. I throw them in my fire pit.

[@MidwestGardener]

@@MsKala88 Not sure what the white ooz would be. The frass is usually a yellow color....kind of like sawdust.

[@es9411]

Thank you for this informative video! Another tip i've heard of but didnt work for me was planting radishes around the squash plant! i planted about 7 and it didn't do much to kept the little demons away! Super heart broken when I saw my 2 plants die overnight.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Erika. Yes, I tried the radishes too. It didn't work for me either. It seemed to confuse the moth a little, and it laid eggs even on top of the leaves, but it still kept laying eggs. I even caught it on video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqfOfJxtpq6LaZY Thanks for watching!

[@Honey-_bee]

Thank you for this info. I just discovered one of my plants has them and seeing signs of others. So, I’m going out armed and ready to fight. Thank you again!!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! Good luck. They are one of the most frustrating garden pests that I've encountered.

[@johnnymccrackensr1389]

Epson salt s mixed with water, will toughen the vines and also give them needed magnesium, the bored seem to have a hard time eating into the plants.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the tip. I've never tried that one.

[@johnnymccrackensr1389]

Mix 1. Tbs Epson salt with a half gallon water, mix welladd 1 ts dish soap to hold it on the plant,shake well and spray the torso of the plant, don't worry it's good for your plants.

[@MidwestGardener]

@@johnnymccrackensr1389 I've never heard of it, but thanks anyway.

[@verlondakirchner2281]

This is my first year planting a fruit and vegetable garden. Just this morning checking on my garden, I saw this moth on my zucchini leaf! I didn't think much of it until I came across this video, by chance. Thank you. I now know to keep it away from my zucchini.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! There are a lot of things to try, but the best solution that I've found for us is to grow resistant varieties. That leaves out some of my favorites though.

[@verlondakirchner2281]

@@MidwestGardener I will do my best to lookout for it, now that I know what it was. Keeping my fingers crossed. I did plant an assortment this year. So far, so good! Thank you for the quick response!! 😊

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! Good luck with the rest of the season!

[@dalewagner6416]

@@MidwestGardener. Thanks for all the tips. I may have missed the info but what are the resistant varieties? Many shops selling young plants don’t indicate such information or staff don’t know.

[@MidwestGardener]

@@dalewagner6416 I don't know all of them right off the top of my head. Just google.....Cucurbita moschata. You should be able to find some to try.

[@juliemcdaniel4937]

Really great video! I've learned a lot this year by watching videos like this. Now I know why I didn't harvest one squash last year. My garden is beautiful right now, producing, but this is the only year I've put the time and money into it like I have. Certainly not bragging, cause every night I think about what I could wake up to. Why was is so much easier to produce a huge, bountiful garden like 30yrs ago? Using hardly no pesticides, we didn't spend 4hrs every night out there like I do now, working until I can wring my clothes out. I remember how pretty all of our gardens were. Why does it seem such a battle today?

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Julie! It does seem that way when we think back sometimess. Maybe we should have listened more closely to the older folks back then. I know I wish I would have asked more questions of my grandparents.

[@VickiZ]

Thank you so much for your help! I did some surgery on my plants and pulled 4 fat worms from my plants! I'm hoping they can stay healthy now and produce some zucchini . Have a wonderful day!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome Vicki! I hope your plants make it ok. As long as you got them all, they will sure be better off without the vine borers. I hate those little rascals.

[@coloringismyaddiction2635]

Thank you for the video! I have been cutting out vine borers from my leaf stems near daily and have wrapped the base of the plants with aluminum foil and am at my wits end! Interestingly, I haven't had a single issue with them on my cucumbers, they seem to not like them. I'm going to interplant my zucchini (vertically) and spaghetti squash with cucumbers next year. Great tip on the BT, I'll have to try that this evening once it cools of a little bit.

[@MidwestGardener]

Good luck! I stopped growing some types of squash because of vine borers.

[@debwoods6011]

The most informative video i have seen even if though it is 5 yrs old. Thanks great detail

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks a bunch, Deb! Glad it was helpful!

[@loridaup2169]

Wonderful video! I was about to give up on squash plants, but I'm going to use this information and give it another go! Thank you.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks, Lori. I can relate to how you are feeling about growing squash. I'm feeling a lot like that. The borers hit us so bad that I was considering giving up too, but like you, I'm going to take what I've learned about them, and give it another go. I'm not sure where you are located. But by keeping an eye on activity and egg laying, I think that they stopped laying eggs about the end of august here, if that information is of any use to you.

[@adelfasab-it627]

The one that worked for me so far is using row covers. Will plant again next year under a cover. And yeah, I would have to hand pollinate them but I find that better than fighting the borers.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing what works for you! I'm sure there are other folks out there doing the same. I've also head of some people keeping them covered until they begin to flower, then they uncover them. I guess that would leave less time for the borers to do their evil work. I could see opting for the hand pollination option if I didn't already have too many other projects going.

[@scottlewis6611]

@@MidwestGardener Planting later in the season can also help. I start my squash indoors and let them strengthen. I put them out later in the year, after the borers are usually gone. I use the same technique to help my eggplants survive the onslaught of flea beetles.

[@gapey]

Great idea. I will have to protect my squash stems next year. This is my fist year with vine borer problems. Lots of great ideas.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks. We didn't have a single one last year, but this year they really tore us up.

[@nancypeplau9747]

Excellent video! Thank you for posting this.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Nancy!

[@kaawesome5204]

I've killed 4 nasty borers this year. Squashed em with my bare hands. Picked off tons of eggs and threw em in a firepit. I even Punched a moth straight out of the air before she could lay eggs on my pumpkins. Gardening is savage.

[@brendabadih8855]

You better believe it. I am a soldier in the war of gardening and an army matches on its stomach. Charge!

[@mohammadpourheydarian5877]

excellent video. no time is wasted Thank you.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@suenorton6032]

thank you so much for going into so much detail. I was pretty sure one of my plants had it as i saw the saw dust looking stuff and the leaves where all wilting. I pulled it up and it came up very easy as i think it was almost dead at the ground level. Even though I did have some growth still. Your video confirmed what i was thinking!!! Thanks so much!!!!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're very welcome, Sue. I'm sorry to hear about your plant.

[@TheGrumpyGardener]

great tips there Jim, as far as I know they haven't reached the UK yet but I know what to do now if they do!! I like the idea of the foil on the young plants to try to prevent them in the first place

[@MidwestGardener]

I sure hope you guys don't get them over there. I wouldn't wish these little monsters on anyone.

[@robertmoore661]

Great info first year to have bore will use this info thanks.

[@MidwestGardener]

Sorry to hear you have them, Robert. While there are a lot of things you can try, none of them are fool proof. The best thing I've found to do here is to plant resistant varieties. Good luck!

[@marydavis40]

Awesome video...all of questions were answered in one video. Also, the video got straight to the point. Thank you so much

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Mary! Thanks for the very kind words.

[@kaylasandoval7971]

Very informative! And many options so I can try out 3-4 methods. Thank you!!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Kayla! The best solution that I have found for us is to grow resistant varieties.

[@sweetheartsmom]

this is a helpful video; I had almost given up on squash and pumpkins

[@MidwestGardener]

I know exactly what you mean, Tracy. They really hit me hard last year. I'm glad that you found it useful.

[@ytthieme]

nice share jim good job getting pictures of the pests tfs thumbs up!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks. I hate them!

[@ytthieme]

yeah can be a pain

[@ThirdCoastGardening]

Thanks. I saw this bug today and research what it was. I found a few eggs on my young plants.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! I'm really sorry to hear that. They are probably the must frustrating insect that I've encountered in gardening.

[@eveny119]

#1-Ive heard that the moth will stay away from peppermint (Or it masks the squash scent) My Idea this year is try 3 or 4 methods at the same time...., covered seedlings with netting, cover stem when netting comes off and use crushed peppermint leaves. Never knew about the yellow traps. All in all good video with a lot of ideas and nice to show the egg so this can be picked off. #2-Lisa's World says interplant w/ cucumbers .

[@MidwestGardener]

Yeah, I've heard of cucumbers but haven't tried that. I also heard of radishes planted around the squash. I tried that this year and it didn't work. It confused them a little and slowed them down, but it didn't stop them. Let me know how your experiments work. It would be nice to find something that works most of the time. I'm growing Green Striped Cushaw this year, and I haven't seen a squash bug on it, or any sign of squash vine borers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[@eveny119]

Well in the past the row cover worked against pests but too shady for flowers and no pollinators. Last year I wrapped strips of old black weed barrier cloth around the base like a mummy a good 12-18'' up a pumpkin stem then took a plastic container made a hole in it cut it open and sealed the base in it I grew peppermint around it and when walking by to water mulched with peppermint leaves. It was war! No vine borer. But later in season maybe 10' away from stem 1 of 6 vines got hit and died but I got pumpkins on the other vines. I think the key is to find out the life cycle of the bast**d (pardon my French), so you can put on the floating row cover then take it off. I understand they come around twice in my zone 5.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing, and your French was perfect :) Around here, they stop laying eggs about the first of September. I can cover and uncover then and most of the time I won't get any more eggs, but it doesn't leave much time till the first frost, so I usually don't get many squash. I just hope somebody comes up with the perfect solution some day.

[@keyscoach3682]

I sprayed my stems with peppermint essential oil, soap and water solution. It did no good. still got bores. still killed the plant.

[@LeeLynn-vq8yq]

I surrounded my butternut with cucumber vines this year, in a ration of 1:5. They still destroyed my butternut. And yes, they do indeed like butternut.

[@Maggie-Gardener-Maker]

You sure do get some awesome pictures! And you share good advice. I bet your local County Extension would love to have you in their MG program! As you know, the moth lays individual eggs instead of a clutch of eggs, yet they lay about 200 eggs so as you mentioned it is hard to get find all of those eggs.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thank you, Maggie! That is very kind of you to say. I have thought about that, but I just can't find the extra time.

[@KL-xs7kq]

Wrap stems with foil..plant foil under dirt to 6 inches up in stem. Remove leaves where foil is put works...also plant 2nd crop in July.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the tips. That would help, but if even seen them lay eggs on leaf stems higher up the plant and even on the top of leaves when I planted radishes around the plant.

[@joshuamoore24_7]

That tall tell sign of the borer worms is the brown track mark going towards the roots. I have seen it the two seasons I tried grow Vegetables and fruits. They borer worms haven't attack the strawberries, blueberries, grape vine or hot peppers. But they love Vines and tomatoes!

[@MidwestGardener]

I've never seen them in tomatoes. I hope I never do. That would be tough to take.

[@RTD-Ninja]

They attacked my tomatoe plants. Maybe I should have left the tomatoes to protect the squash...a decoy. I didn’t start noticing issues with the squash until I removed the tomatoes.

[@galennordlund1859]

Excellent information and video. Thank you.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome Galen! Glad that you found it useful.

[@RameyRocks]

Killed my first Vine borer of the season today and squished an egg. I did not know that they would get on small plants as I have found that they tend to come out whenever the plant starts to blossom. Which mine just started blossoming a couple of days ago. I hate those stupid things! I'm going to try to mix up some neem oil and water and spray my plants.

[@MidwestGardener]

I'm with you on hating those little stupid things. They can really frustrate a person in a hurry. Good luck with them.

[@jujube2407]

Mine just gave us our first squash... and I saw 2 months today.... I want all the things... to kill them...and I want them to suffer

[@bustedkeaton]

I grew a brazilian pumpkin called Moranga last year, and the vine borers got it, so I only had time for one tiny little pumpkin to actually ripen (i planted sort of late for my zone, so it didnt ripen fully until december or january). It was just big enough for me to save some seeds, but only one even sprouted. I've been babying this years moranga so much, and I've been trying a bunch of methods all at once to try and keep the borers AND squash bugs at bay. -I'm growing nasturtiums nearby and calendula in the grow bag with the pumpkin. -I'm planning to wrap the stem in tinfoil, and train it vertically, to keep it off the ground. -I bought beneficial nematodes, and just watered in the first dose of them in and around the grow bag. The hope is they eat the borer grubs. Wish me luck

[@bustedkeaton]

If all else fails, I'm just going to switch to growing Dickinsons, and hope theyre more resistant. I'd love to keep growing pumpkin though, not squashes

[@MidwestGardener]

Good luck! The best solution for me has been to grow resistant varieties. I grew Dickinson pumpkin and it did great here without any vine borer problem.

[@jackb666]

Congratulations Jim. Looks like you still got it. I've never seen that before. They sure are big. Move over pumpkin pie hello Stripes😀🍹

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Jack! I've never made a pie in my life, but I'm thinking about trying it :)

[@doncook3584]

Comprehensive I appreciate your knowledge

[@MidwestGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate that!

[@GinchyGirlCreatesAndGardens]

This was a great video!!! I found two of my plants with them. I pulled them and burned them. I have been watching and looking at my others. So far so good :) My question is, do the borers stay in the main stalk or do the go into the stems with the leaves as well? I injected BT with one of them flavor injectors that came with Tony’s herb and butter marinade for turkeys etc. worked just perfect !!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing how the injection worked for you! I've found them in the main stem, and the leaf stems. Same with the eggs. I've found them mostly at the very base of the plant at the dirt line, but I've also found them on the leaf stems.

[@thegardeningaddictchannel4112]

Hey Jim, I tried the stem wrap and they laid eggs up the stem and on some of the leaves.. ugh. I tried a couple of these techniques and after a got a few squash and zucchini.. I just gave up... I felt like I was out numbered. (planted in different spot, dug some out, BT). So the one they don't like are the ones I will try if any next year... Scared of the trap crops, I feel like I would draw in more.. lol... I even tried the back up plan.. to just planting more squash every two weeks... I feel like an expert on them now... I read so much stuff and watch tons of videos too... TFS all these tips.. T

[@MidwestGardener]

I'm going to give it a shot next year, but if they beat me again like they did this year, I'll probably not plant many in the future.

[@Spnart]

I want to try the Green Striped Cushaws, I hear they are amazing vs the borers. the base stem is apparently very woody and they can't drill into it very well.

[@brendabadih8855]

​@@Spnartgrew the gs crushaw in Mo. Fantastic!

[@johndoe-uz2kc]

Thanks for this. Been loosing zucchini plants to these devils for years. Going to try all these things

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! I know the feeling. There isn't really any fool proof method. Good luck!

[@bobbun9630]

I haven't tried it, but it occurs to me that one method, if you have the space and are growing summer squash only, would be do to succession planting and remove all the "oldest" plants after a few weeks of production. You would be uprooting a lot of still vigorously producing plants, most likely, but you would also prevent insects on those plants from completing their life cycle. Provided that the plants are destroyed in a way that kills eggs as well (soak for a day or two in a bucket of water before composting?) , this might help a little with squash bugs as well.

[@MidwestGardener]

Yes, if you had enough space, that would certainly be something to try.

[@susanedelman8937]

Very helpful. Thank you for this video.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Susan!

[@lindabower6315]

Grow your squash up by trimming the leaves off right at the stem and spray with peppermint water to disguise the smell of the squash. About 10 drops of peppermint to 1 gal water spray anytime you remove leaves,

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the tips, Linda!

[@bernkondret9981]

I have used most of the methods you demonstrate in this video. Which is the best I have seen on this subject. I now use one method. With the awl like tool on a Swiss Army knife to take a small plug out of the stem at the ground level and several points up the stem, depending on the size of the plant, may be several. Then using a pump up sprayer, inject a BT solution into the hollow stem. I like to see the solution come out of at least one other hole, doing each hole. Also i use a Permethrin solution around the base of the plant, but not on the flowers or fruits. The only problem with this method is getting under and in to where you need to get to do this once the plants are large. Repeat each week.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing your experience with dealing with SVB. I'm sure lot of people read down through the comments hoping to find more solutions, so I'm sure that others will try your method. I haven't tried doing it that specific way, but it sounds like it should work as long as they don't lay eggs farther up the stem than you treat. Here I've just about given up trying to grow varieties that SVB prefer. Of course that leaves out some of my favorite types of squash. Thanks again!

[@jamesvance4251]

The SVB'S start here in Ct at the beginning of July. My yellow squash and Zucchini are 6 weeks old at that time. I coat the base of the plants -bottom 6 inches- with a light coating of Tanglefoot using a small wooden paddle. It gives me another six or 8 weeks of production before the plants give out

[@MsDee1129]

Thanks for sharing this helpful information

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Dionne!

[@PermacultureHomestead]

nice stuff Jim, love all the tips.

[@MidwestGardener]

I had a few conversations about them, so I thought I would throw everything out there I could think of....hoping some of it might help someone.

[@rapala1818]

Thank you, very comprehensive and useful.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome! I'm glad that you found it useful.

[@bonniemae187]

I'm thinking of just scrapping the whole garden this year, or maybe just grow flowers I guess. Last year I had it so bad. Tried some new varieties from migardener and they must have been delicacies to the bugs because I had squash vine borders, cucumber beetles, stink bugs, squash bugs, cabbage moths, earwigs that burrowed into my peppers and sunflower stems (and thus woodpeckers attacked the sunflowers) and of course Japanese beetles. Pretty sure I'm forgetting 1 or 2 as well. I have never had a bug problem and I only knew to try DE and neem oil. No effect. Now this spring I have already been bombarded by cucumber beetles and squash bugs and everything is still just seedlings! I'm at a loss.

[@MidwestGardener]

I'm sure sorry to hear about that. I know kind of how you feel about the bug problems though. We've really been hit hard the last few years. I have a little luck with pyrethrin on flea beetles, not sure how well it works on cucumber beetles. Like anything, follow directions and warnings if you decide to try it. I sure hope you get some relief! Good luck!

[@richardbogan6092]

I Have herd of tilling the garden in the winter time!

[@MidwestGardener]

Yes, that is one thing that I should have listed. It exposes some of them to the harsh winter temperatures. I guess I didn't think of it, is that I no longer till my garden. Thanks for adding to the list!!

[@ThisGardenLife]

The organic farm I trained at swore that they never got vine bores but they tilled like crazy. Perhaps their organic matter went down with their pest pressure

[@joshuamoore24_7]

The borer worms have been killing some of my tomato plants and vine plants. I am going to try Bonide Pesticide spray on the stems this year. Hopefully it doesn't wash off in the rain!

[@MidwestGardener]

Good luck Joshua. I've given up on zucchini and other favorites of the vine borers. I've grown some resistant varieties, and that seems to be the best solution for me right now. Good luck with the Bonide. Those borers are relentless!

[@staciglass1730]

Plant them with cucumber companions. I hear it absolutely works, and plan on moving my cucumbers next to my squash tomorrow. I sure hope this does the trick! My eggplants are getting torn up!

[@MidwestGardener]

I hope it works for you! I've heard of that one, but haven't tried it yet. I also heard that planting radishes around your squash plant works. I tried that this year, and it doesn't work.

[@rchristley]

You have eggplant being affected by vine borers?

[@JaneThatcher89]

*THANK YOU FOR THIS INFO Jim! Ugh, I am so annoyed and discouraged because while on lockdown there’s a lot of chaos in the world and my plants are what have given me some joy. I have been babying my jarrahdale pumpkin plant like crazy since April - my time, energy, care, money etc... and now it is infested with the nasty vine borer. I have no idea how people can successfully grow squash! I’m amazed. If you don’t mind answering a question: I’ve heard of gardeners wrapping the entire stem with the material called tulle. Do you think this would prevent the eggs from being laid and from borers digging into the stem? I’m willing to wrap the entire stem and each leaf stem for even just ONE pumpkin! 😭 haha... thanks so much for your time. I appreciate your advice and if anyone else has input regarding this.

[@MidwestGardener]

I completely understand your frustration. If you started out wrapping the entire stem, that might help, but like you mentioned, they still can lay eggs on the leaf stems. That seems like a whole lot of work. I know it won't help this year, but I grew Dickinson pumpkins last year, and they are resistant to the vine borers. They didn't bother it at all. Green Striped Cushaw squash is resistant too. I've stopped trying to grow zucchini because it is just too much trouble and work for me. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[@hollyhock3945]

I have read planting nastursiums around squash deters the moths. They are attracted by smell to the squash blossoms but hate the smell of nastursiums. I am giving that a try this year.

[@MidwestGardener]

Let us know how it works out. I've heard the same thing about radishes, but I tried that and it didn't work.

[@Iloveorganicgardening]

thanks for that information. I'll have to try most of those options to see if I can get any squash next year. I got one zucchini this year and that was from a volunteer plant

[@MidwestGardener]

I've heard from a lot of people who have had them really bad this year. Hope next year is better. I'm trying to come up with my game plan now.

[@joannagel4681]

Last year I injected the stem with BT & then wrapped with tin foil. It worked!

[@joannagel4681]

Also anytime I cut away leaves, I sprayed the plant with peppermint oil

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing that, Joan!

[@BobMelsimpleliving.]

Great information and tips Jim. They have really been bad for me this year. Best wishes Bob.

[@MidwestGardener]

Us too. I hate the little %$#%^.

[@freethinker8047]

Thank you for all this info. ! Great video.

[@MidwestGardener]

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@dash-4150]

Inject stems with bT, works great!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the tip.

[@johnjude2685]

B T ? What is it?

[@MidwestGardener]

@@johnjude2685 BT is a spray that contains Bacillus thuringiensis. It kills caterpillars.

[@freddieivory625]

Greats tips, thanks for sharing

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks Freddie! None of them are fool proof in my opinion. The best solution for me has been to plant resistant varieties.

[@pjd2709]

Thanks so much for you very interesting video. They are in my area too!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome. The best thing I've found for them so far is to grow Moschata type squash.

[@kevinknabe7252]

I plant squash every other year. All i do is dig out as many as i can and then put lots of garden soil mixed into a mud and pack it around the plants. Most times the squash plant starts growing again.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the tip, and sharing your experience with them Kevin! Much appreciated.

[@jamesvance4251]

I coat the bottom 6 inches of my yellow squash and zucchini with tanglefoot using a small wooden paddle when they are 6 weeks old at the end of June. It protects most of them for a couple of months.

[@MidwestGardener]

I've wondered how tanglefoot would work. Thanks for sharing that, James!

[@LucyJazzy85]

Greetings from North Central Florida, the most bug-riddled state in the nation and probably the entire world ... what is tanglefoot and where can I get some? I am woefully out of helpful ‘solutions’ to try. This year I planted squash “patches” (2 plants per patch) all around my garden (even along the front walkway and down by the mailbox) hoping the bugs will be happy with one or two patches and I will be left with at least one... I recently heard that 4 healthy plants will produce enough fruit to supply a family of four as well as the in-laws and my next-door neighbor. The name tanglefoot seems self-descriptive. I am assuming it’s something sticky that the bugs get stuck on? I just realized I can google it... duh! I guess my rambling here is cathartic release! Peace and Blessings ☮️🌱

[@LucyJazzy85]

⚠️⚠️PLEASE DO NOT USE THE PRODUCT ‘TANGLEFOOT ‘ because IT KILLS BIRDS!! They cannot get it off their beaks and feathers which makes them unable to eat or even to fly... thus they die a cruel and PREVENTABLE DEATH!! This product SHOULD BE BANNED!! ⚠️PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT USE TANGLEFOOT ⚠️⚠️⚠️

[@sharonstanley5054]

Could you use beneficial nemadodes to get rid of the borers in the soil. The key word is "beneficial" nematodes. I think I bought them from Gardens Alive a few years back. I really enjoyed your practical advice and excellent photos. Thank you. I am gardening in fabric pots in Idaho and am not sure if borers are a problem. But I will keep a sharp eye out for them.

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the suggestion, Sharon. That is one more thing that a person could try. I haven't read anything about it, but it makes sense that it might work. I don't think you have anything to worry about up there where you are. I sure hope not anyway. They are a huge nuisance.

[@ThisGardenLife]

Or triccagramma wasps?

[@brandon3872]

I have some tunneling their way through my cucumber plant right now. It's too late now, but at least I know for next year.

[@MidwestGardener]

Yes, being aware of them at the start is important for sure. Good luck!

[@brandon3872]

@@MidwestGardener Thanks, I did some research and found out it's leaf miners my plant has.

[@MidwestGardener]

@@brandon3872 That's a good thing. You wouldn't like dealing with vine borers.

[@kathyvogel7790]

The problem with BT is it kills bees. We have a serious declining population of honeybees. Whole colonies are collapsing. BT's are one of the reasons why. Not so sure I would want it on anything I was ingesting either. I know the fight is real. I hate dealing with bad bugs. But, I have to believe we can do this without chemicals.

[@MidwestGardener]

Yes, that is a big downside. I think if you are careful where you spray it, you can lessen the impact on the bees. I would only apply it to the base of the plant and not come anywhere hear the flowers.

[@bugee851]

Good news for you then. BT is bacteria, not chemicals. BT does not have any effect on adult bees. The only thing related to BT that is shown to be harmful in any way to bees is if you extract and concentrate the toxin and feed it in high concentrations directly to the bee larvae. This is not a problem with BT but instead its extracted toxin form, which is not what he's recommending.

[@unoriginal1086]

Honeybees are invasive, but I could worry about the huge bumblebees and solitary bees especially. BT can only effect lepidoptera larvae, and kills monarchs swiftly and sadly. It kills catterpillars and borers are tecnically catterpillars.

[@VladTheImpalerTepesIII]

In my area, I start my Fordhook Zucchini inside and plant in the garden around 4th week of May, 1st week of June. SVB moths don't start coming around until beginning of July and then you see them for about 3-4 weeks. By the time the SVB moth comes around, my plants are already large and fruiting. So at that point it's impossible to find those eggs. This year, because my zucchini grows so fast, I decided to start another set of plants on July 1st. They should be ready to plant out by Aug 1. I put them in large 6" pots so I can keep them in their pots longer than normal. I'm experimenting to see if it's worth planting them so late in the year. By planting them in August, the SVB will be gone and the plants will not be affected by the SVB. Problem will be the squash bug. But I didn't get hardly any of them last year and I am very good at keeping them under control anyway. I have not found any Squash bug eggs this year so far so my fingers are crossed. I think by eradicating at least 200-300 eggs in 2018, I may have but a damper on the squash bug population in my garden. We shall see, but I'm pretty sure I should be seeing squash bugs already.

[@MidwestGardener]

Sounds like you are on top of the situation as well as you can be. We have them so bad around here that it just isn't worth the trouble for me anymore to grow zucchini. I grow so many other things, that I just can't invest so much work for one type of plant. Growing resistant varieties works best for me, but that means that I don't get to grow my favorite summer squash types.

[@VladTheImpalerTepesIII]

@@MidwestGardener So what squash types do you grow that are resistant to the squash vine border and it's moth?

[@MidwestGardener]

Most of the moschata squash are somewhat resistant, to very resistant. One that I grew a couple of years ago was Green Striped Cushaw. The SVB didn't bother it a bit. I also grew Dickinson pumpkin last year, and the borers didn't bother that one either. Of course they both had some squash bugs on them, but not in very big numbers.

[@robokat36]

After all the videos and advice for these blasted bugs, I got tired and brought out the shop vac. I am now removing eggs with ductape, and sucking every darn squash bug , young and old, that I can see. Its war! To my great satisfaction it cleans them off pretty good. I know its going to be a long fight, we have had lots of rain and the bugs are strong and numerous. I will be busy

[@MidwestGardener]

Good luck, Kathy! I've actually done that with squash bugs myself. It fells pretty good to see them quickly disappear. I mainly did it at the base of the plants and on the stems. The bugs are relentless around here.

[@Yahahavah]

Great video editing!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thank you very much!

[@traceyruest2081]

VERY helpful! Thank you!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Tracey!

[@tontowilliams]

They are such voracious pest Jim - I'm glad it's not a problem I have to deal with here.

[@MidwestGardener]

I hope like heck you never get them over there. They can wipe out an entire crop before you even realize you have them.

[@yuglobalcitizen2246]

Wish I watched your video before I planted the pumpkin with my daughter. The borer destroyed our pumpkin plant. I cut open the stems found two fat worms inside. I fed them to my FlowerHorn

[@MidwestGardener]

Sorry to hear that. I've grown Dickinson pumpkin before, and it is resistant to vine borers.

[@combatmako]

Thank You, Thank You , THANK YOU!!! ✌️❤️😁

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Chris! Keep in mind that none of these are a magic bullet for them. But at least there are a few things you can try.

[@combatmako]

Midwest Gardener and Try I Will !!

[@MidwestGardener]

Yep, that is about all we can do. Those little pests are relentless. Good luck!

[@jaxonv2098]

They got a lot of my pumpkins last year. This year I used fine insect netting which I guess would be similar to row covers and so far I haven't had anymore eggs.

[@MidwestGardener]

Nice! Glad you found a solution that works for you. So now you are hand pollinating?

[@ThisGardenLife]

We do insect netting buy remove it as flowering stage. Qfter watching your video,, prhaps we could combine the insect netting removal with the yellow sticky traps so they aren't necessary so long that they severely effect other insects

[@dash-4150]

Squirt a mix of water and diatamaceouse earth into the hollow stemss

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for the additional tips, Joe. Much appreciated. I did well with planting later this year. It seems that they stop laying eggs about the first of September. I planted in August and removed eggs till the 1st of Sep. They did pretty well.

[@OotezYTBen]

I'm pretty sure they hit my hubbard squash and black beauty zucchini last year. Both plants produced pretty well but the Hubbard had some wilting. I could see the frass but was basically in denial about it. LOL. I'm wondering if both plants ended up surviving through the year because the SVB came kind of late in the season??? This year, I only grew zucchini (and also some butternut squash but so far they're in the clear and I hear generally less affected - yay!). Anyway, I am noticing some slowing of production on my zucchini (happy I've gotten a few good weeks at least!) and a little rotting of some stems and am hoping I won't lose them. I killed one of the moths that was on a leaf this morning...very clearly a SBV moth. ;( ;( ;( I am thinking about starting a new zucchini plant, even though maybe late for it. Based on your video, I may try to inject with BT....I'm not really into surgery....especially since you aren't guaranteed to get them all....I'm all for less invasive approach. :) Next year, I hope to try using an essential oil pheromone blocker, definitely crop rotation and tilling the old spot, maybe early row cover and covering the base/as much of stem as possible with old pantyhose...and maybe diatamaceous earth sprinkled on the outside! Anything to stop them....I just love homegrown zucchini. I know everyone commenting on here (and obviously the creator of the video) shares that sentiment!

[@MidwestGardener]

Thanks for sharing your experience with them Jenna! I think the more we hear about how people approach fighting them, the sooner we might come up with a decent strategy to fight them. I have some very late zucchini, and I hope it is late enough. We will see. I think you have the right idea.....and integrated approach using several Technics at the same time. I also have some seeds planted that haven't sprouted, and I'm thinking of covering those. Please drop back in and update us on how it goes.

[@gavett]

Thank you so much!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're welcome, Gavett!