How do you deal with squash vine borer?
LSweeney_moderator
| Posted in Mid-Atlantic Gardening on
Squash vine borer is an inevitable occurrence in my garden, so I never have much hope for zucchini, summer squash and pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo). Some things I have tried to deal with it include cutting open the vine stems to retrieve the grub and then burying the damaged part, planting squash later in the season to miss the insects breeding cycle and planting other species of cucurbita like c. moschata (butternut, cheese pumpkins, tromboncino) and c. argyrosperma (cushaw squash). Has anyone had success with other interventions?
Replies
My favorite method of control is injecting BT into the stem. As soon as I see frass, I inject with a kitchen bulb baster equipped with a metal tip. Timing is important, of course, but if I keep an eye out for borer evidence, I can stop it before the plant suffers much.
I’ve never considered doing that! Thanks for sharing!