What to do for squash borers???

This is my first SFG and actually my first garden ever. I just wrote on the forum last week about having to put miracle gro on my garden to get the leaves from staying yellow. I put mushroom compost and some worm castings last week. I also put more Miracle Gro last week as well. Things were looking great again. The leaves on the squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. were turning green again. Two days ago I went out to the garden and noticed my best looking and biggest zucchini plant was wilted on the soil and there was light brown stuff oozing from the bottom. I went ahead and pulled the whole plant up because it was obvious that nothing could save it. Yesterday I went out to the garden to water it and notice a part of my cucumber plant was wilted and dying along with some of the other squash and zucchini plants looking the same way. All had the brown stuff coming out of the bottom of the plant. So I just now went out there and found an actual worm boring into the cucumber plant. It's white, fat, and about 1 inch long. I googled worms in squash and cucumber plants and it showed the squash borer. That's exactly what this worm is. So my question is can I saw my plants? If so, what should I do? Thanks.

Jennifer

Here's a link that will give you some great information. Good luck!

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1209.html

if there is still some of the plant living (in other words, the plant isn't totally wilted), you can save it. slice open the stem, remove the SVB, then place the stem on the ground with the slice in contact with the soil. cover it with more soil or a rock or whatever, just to make sure it stays down. this works about 75% of the time. if you don't try, you will totally lose the plant. if you do try, the plant has a good fighting chance.

Found this preventive technique on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDqXeZkUfgw

You can fast forward to about 3 min and 40 seconds to get to the actual recommendation about preventing the young borer from getting to your zuccs/squash/cucumbers.

It involves using toilet paper and paper towel rolls placed around the stems.

Great low tech / no chemical approach. Even better if it actually works!

BT - Bacillus thuriengensis - injected.

Here are some ideas:

http://yardener.com/YardenersPlantProblemSolver/DealingWithPestInsects/PestInsectsInTheVegetableGarden/SquashVineBorer/SolutionsforSquashVineBorer

So, I have a question about the Bt injection method.... is this a proactive preventative method? or is it best to wait after you see eggs or frass?

I just bought a hyperdermic needle from the drug store and have BT. I definately have something wrong with the squash and have some new ones coming up. I'm interested also to know if I should innoculate both the problems and the ones that don't seem to have problems YET.

Kay

Last year I injected mine. I never saw any of the frass or larve & their holes but had the squash suddenly wilt like many describe. I injected several places along the stem plus put some BT in the open stems when I trimmed leaves. I sprayed the BT ob the squash also when I sprayed the tomatoes for hornworms. Figured it couldn't hurt and the spaghetti squash & Tromboncino continued producing.