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Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
+7
Ginger Blue
has55
svanahgirl129
CapeCoddess
mollyhespra
camprn
manich
11 posters
Page 1 of 1
Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
I am thinking of experimenting with one plant to keep away the vine bores. Anyone ever heard of spraying the base of the vine with this Great Stuff foam insulating spray? Wonder if it would be toxic or suffocate the plant? The foil attempt is a lot of work and the vine keeps growing past it.
Last edited by camprn on 7/16/2014, 12:11 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Expanded title)
manich- Posts : 6
Join date : 2012-02-27
Location : Blue Ridge Mountains 2600' elev.
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
Well its certainly not organic and I would expect it may, in the end, strangle the plant to death.
This may have some usefulness. It is flexible after application and can easily be removed.
http://www.henryschein.com/self-adherent-wrap-bandages.aspx
This post suggests burlap.
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/stop-squash-vine-borers-in-your-garden/
This may have some usefulness. It is flexible after application and can easily be removed.
http://www.henryschein.com/self-adherent-wrap-bandages.aspx
This post suggests burlap.
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/stop-squash-vine-borers-in-your-garden/
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
+1
Like Camp said, applying a rigid foam to the stalk would prevent the plant from growing, thus probably killing it or stunting it's growth.
Also, I understand that plants, like us, breathe through their "skin". If you apply that foam sealer, you are effectively sealing off the plant's pores if you will.
The foil & hosiery & other things that are suggested to ward off SVB create a barrier between the insect and the plant but don't clog the plant's pores.
And do you want to eat the product of a plant that's potentially been absorbing the chemicals that are in that stuff?
HTH & good luck!
Like Camp said, applying a rigid foam to the stalk would prevent the plant from growing, thus probably killing it or stunting it's growth.
Also, I understand that plants, like us, breathe through their "skin". If you apply that foam sealer, you are effectively sealing off the plant's pores if you will.
The foil & hosiery & other things that are suggested to ward off SVB create a barrier between the insect and the plant but don't clog the plant's pores.
And do you want to eat the product of a plant that's potentially been absorbing the chemicals that are in that stuff?
HTH & good luck!
mollyhespra-
Posts : 1087
Join date : 2012-09-21
Age : 57
Location : Waaaay upstate, NH (zone 4)
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
I hate the SVB with a passion!

So this year I'm trying something I read in the New Victory Garden book, put a square of silver foil under each plant.
He didn't know if the light from the bottom confused the moth or if the solar reflection cooked the seeds, but it worked. So I'm trying it, along with growing the squash on the other side of the house from previous years. If I can remember which thread I posted in, will report back with the results.
CC


So this year I'm trying something I read in the New Victory Garden book, put a square of silver foil under each plant.

He didn't know if the light from the bottom confused the moth or if the solar reflection cooked the seeds, but it worked. So I'm trying it, along with growing the squash on the other side of the house from previous years. If I can remember which thread I posted in, will report back with the results.
CC
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
SVB
Had problems with them this year too. What a great idea to use the foil! I am definitely going to try that and see if it helps. Nasty critters, did not know what they looked like, but now I do. Thanks for posting the pics.
svanahgirl129- Posts : 25
Join date : 2014-07-22
Location : Savannah, GA
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
I 'm going to try that too.I put foil around my yellow squash plant stem, but I like this flat foil idea. I wonder if it will confused the squash bug. I'm going to plant garlic around the base to see if that will keep them out since they like to harbor at the base of the plant.
great pictures capecoddess
great pictures capecoddess
has55- Posts : 2378
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Resurrecting this post from 2014...
CC, did you ever try the flat foil deterrent? If so, how did it work?
I've just lost one of my zucchini vines to the dreaded borer nemesis.
GB
I've just lost one of my zucchini vines to the dreaded borer nemesis.
GB
Ginger Blue-
Posts : 281
Join date : 2016-06-02
Location : New Hampshire, Zone 4
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
I forgot about this method. Yes, did it work?
has55- Posts : 2378
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
My extension office recommended the foil squares. Supposed to help prevent the hatching SVB moth from emerging from the soil so close to the base of your squash plant And it may reflect light up and disorient the flying moth. No one knows.
Because the eggs are laid low is why you need to frequently spray the base and stems, not the leaves. I tried foil this year and actually got some squash plants up big enough to produce a few squash before they succumbed and I found the borer was higher in the plant stems than in previous years. Leaves have other problems like powdery mildew that need to be sprayed for.
I had more problem this year with a worm (I think a pickle worm) boring into the blossoms and down into the fruit than having the base of the plant being destroyed. But squash bugs are now finishing up the job of destroying my plants. I have a long season here so I just replanted some squash, hoping the pests will have finished their cycles.
Another interesting thing about the SVB moth which looks more like a wasp. It flies during the day, hovering around the base and lower stems to lay eggs. In SE NC this happens during May and June with the eggs hatching a few weeks later, This period of time is the only time insecticides are useful. Neem breaks down faster than synthetic insecticides and has to be sprayed every 3-5 days. After the worms start boring into the plant, the only remedy is to cut them out and bury the wound while hoping the plant will heal.
Kay
Because the eggs are laid low is why you need to frequently spray the base and stems, not the leaves. I tried foil this year and actually got some squash plants up big enough to produce a few squash before they succumbed and I found the borer was higher in the plant stems than in previous years. Leaves have other problems like powdery mildew that need to be sprayed for.
I had more problem this year with a worm (I think a pickle worm) boring into the blossoms and down into the fruit than having the base of the plant being destroyed. But squash bugs are now finishing up the job of destroying my plants. I have a long season here so I just replanted some squash, hoping the pests will have finished their cycles.
Another interesting thing about the SVB moth which looks more like a wasp. It flies during the day, hovering around the base and lower stems to lay eggs. In SE NC this happens during May and June with the eggs hatching a few weeks later, This period of time is the only time insecticides are useful. Neem breaks down faster than synthetic insecticides and has to be sprayed every 3-5 days. After the worms start boring into the plant, the only remedy is to cut them out and bury the wound while hoping the plant will heal.
Kay
A WEED IS A FLOWER GROWING IN THE WRONG PLACE
Elizabeth City, NC
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walshevak
Certified SFG Instructor-
Posts : 4374
Join date : 2010-10-17
Age : 80
Location : wilmington, nc zone 8
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
No, the foil did not work. But I may have placed it under the plants too late. The eggs may have already been laid by the time I got the foil under them. Or the borers may have already burrowed into the plants and I didn't see it. This year I wrapped netting around the base of the plants as soon after they sprouted as I could. I'm not sure if it works yet or not as I planted so late, trying to out calendar him, and the plants are still tiny.
Last year I tried sticking straight pins through the stems after I saw the frass. I had read that that works but it doesn't. Unless I did it too late and they had already damaged the plants enough to kill them.. or maybe too many pin holes killed them.
Another year I was so mad that I made a hole above where I thought the borers might be and squirted dish soap down into the stem. They came out their original hole and died but the plants did also.
In my first year I tried the operation thing. You slice open the stem, get them out, put the stem back together and bury it under the dirt and it's supposed to reroot. The plants died. Apparently I'm not a very good surgeon.
Something's gotta work. Every year I say I'm never going to plant squashes again and every year I try.
CC
Last year I tried sticking straight pins through the stems after I saw the frass. I had read that that works but it doesn't. Unless I did it too late and they had already damaged the plants enough to kill them.. or maybe too many pin holes killed them.
Another year I was so mad that I made a hole above where I thought the borers might be and squirted dish soap down into the stem. They came out their original hole and died but the plants did also.
In my first year I tried the operation thing. You slice open the stem, get them out, put the stem back together and bury it under the dirt and it's supposed to reroot. The plants died. Apparently I'm not a very good surgeon.
Something's gotta work. Every year I say I'm never going to plant squashes again and every year I try.

CC
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
CC, It sounds like you have a love-hate relationship with the SVB, sort of a Caddyshack relationship.

Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
I'm sorry to hear the foil didn't work.
An article I recently read suggested injecting stems with beneficial nematodes. The author didn't provide more detail, so I interpreted the action as "flooding" the hollow of the already damaged stem. The environment is moist enough to keep the nematodes alive - but I don't know if they would kill the grubs quickly enough to prevent significant damage or death to the plant. Might be worth a try....
To further define the thought, as an early intervention measure, I wonder if injecting the main stem before there's visible borer damage would allow for distribution of nematodes through the entire stem system, such that larve would be infected as soon as they start burrowing. Of course, the intervention would have to be well-timed, so the nematodes wouldn't starve before the larve appeared.
Has anyone tried this?
An article I recently read suggested injecting stems with beneficial nematodes. The author didn't provide more detail, so I interpreted the action as "flooding" the hollow of the already damaged stem. The environment is moist enough to keep the nematodes alive - but I don't know if they would kill the grubs quickly enough to prevent significant damage or death to the plant. Might be worth a try....

To further define the thought, as an early intervention measure, I wonder if injecting the main stem before there's visible borer damage would allow for distribution of nematodes through the entire stem system, such that larve would be infected as soon as they start burrowing. Of course, the intervention would have to be well-timed, so the nematodes wouldn't starve before the larve appeared.
Has anyone tried this?
Ginger Blue-
Posts : 281
Join date : 2016-06-02
Location : New Hampshire, Zone 4
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
That's intense. I'm not positive but it seems to me that there are different nematodes that destroy different kinds of bugs and grubs. You have to get the right nematode to kill the borer larvae. And, like you said, somehow keep it fed and alive until it's time to do its job.
Another thing to try would be to keep succession planting the zucchinis, delicata, Patty pans or whatever in hopes that the svb won't be able to get them all and will eventually be gone when the later ones are coming up. But you'd have to have a lot of space. Maybe I'll try that next year.
CC
Another thing to try would be to keep succession planting the zucchinis, delicata, Patty pans or whatever in hopes that the svb won't be able to get them all and will eventually be gone when the later ones are coming up. But you'd have to have a lot of space. Maybe I'll try that next year.
CC
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
I tried the surgery thing too, and no, it doesn't work.
Have you moved the whole squash bed, CC? Is it the larvae from the prior season that get into the stems? Or just freshly laid eggs?
Have you moved the whole squash bed, CC? Is it the larvae from the prior season that get into the stems? Or just freshly laid eggs?
Scorpio Rising-
Posts : 8608
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 61
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
Scorpio Rising wrote:I tried the surgery thing too, and no, it doesn't work.
Have you moved the whole squash bed, CC? Is it the larvae from the prior season that get into the stems? Or just freshly laid eggs?
I'm not sure where the borer moths are coming from. But I move the beds every year. This year I've spread them out so they are all over. A couple years ago I grew the squash in pots of straight compost on the other side of the house.
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
SVB overwinters as cocoons in the soil, and then they emerge as adult moths that can fly from one bed to another: It's freshly laid eggs.Scorpio Rising wrote:I tried the surgery thing too, and no, it doesn't work.
Have you moved the whole squash bed, CC? Is it the larvae from the prior season that get into the stems? Or just freshly laid eggs?
My zucc got SVB'd, but I caught it early - pre-wilting. I was removing mildewed leaves off my neighboring yellow squash, and noticed something strange where the leaf attaches to the stem (not where the stem attaches to the 'trunk', oddly). Cut it open - Borer. Immediately checked my zucchini trunk. Frass.

Did surgery. I slit parallel with the way it grows, so as to avoid severing veins running through the trunk. Used a toothpick to go in and pry outwards, managed to extract 3 borers. Smaller than the ones I removed when I did surgery last year. I hope I got all of them, I didn't want to do further damage by prying open the stem to get a good look. I wrapped the wound with plastic wrap because it felt right (also, hard to bury the stem because it's in an Earthbox). It's been over 48 hours, no wilting, so I think I'm good to go... except for the mildew.


BeetlesPerSqFt-
Posts : 1439
Join date : 2016-04-11
Location : Port Matilda, PA Zone 5b/6a LF:5/11-FF:10/10
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
how did that go?CapeCoddess wrote:
I grew the squash in pots of straight compost on the other side of the house.
has55- Posts : 2378
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Ginger Blue-
Posts : 281
Join date : 2016-06-02
Location : New Hampshire, Zone 4
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
You took a more "laparoscopic " approach, Beetles. I was doing a more open approach. I think I did too much damage to the plant....fingers crossed!
Scorpio Rising-
Posts : 8608
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 61
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
has55 wrote:how did that go?CapeCoddess wrote:
I grew the squash in pots of straight compost on the other side of the house.
They got hit and died after producing one fruit each.

Beetles, nice job. I tried micro surgery, too, but at first I found that I missed some borers further up and the plants died. So any following surgeries when up and up, finding borers, until I hit the solid part. Guess it was too much for the plants.

CC
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
Yeah, my post-op plants did not do well at all.
The move to the raised beds/SFG changed my luck. I had tried for 8 or 9 years to get my beloved Patty pans to grow here in the dirt. No go. Number 1: dirt is bad and clay and number 2: I had no idea what was wrong until like the 5th or 6th year when all my flowering plants would just start dying.....grrrrr. But the SFG fixed it...for now. (Fingers crossed emoticon)
The move to the raised beds/SFG changed my luck. I had tried for 8 or 9 years to get my beloved Patty pans to grow here in the dirt. No go. Number 1: dirt is bad and clay and number 2: I had no idea what was wrong until like the 5th or 6th year when all my flowering plants would just start dying.....grrrrr. But the SFG fixed it...for now. (Fingers crossed emoticon)
Scorpio Rising-
Posts : 8608
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 61
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
Sounds like surgery is only an option for patients with small infections that are caught early. I don't know if there isn't a big population where I am, or if I've just been lucky. There's a farm down the road that grows pumpkins. I'd figure there be a lot of SVB resulting from that. Maybe they spray and I accidentally benefit. CC, Do you have any organic pumpkin growers near you?
The zucchini is still alive, though it's losing additional leaves to the mildew.
The zucchini is still alive, though it's losing additional leaves to the mildew.
BeetlesPerSqFt-
Posts : 1439
Join date : 2016-04-11
Location : Port Matilda, PA Zone 5b/6a LF:5/11-FF:10/10
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
Argh, the dreaded powdery mildew. I bought a few seeds of Dunja zucchini because it's supposed to be resistant but I haven't been able to confirm that yet because apparently it's not SVB resistant.
So I was walking by the yellow crookneck squash this morning and the leaves looked a little limp. I thought it might due to the netting, that I had wrapped around the stem, holding water on the leaf stems. Lo and behold behold the SVB got it. There was a little entrance hole down at the bottom and frass everywhere. I did notice the netting seemed to be moved down a little bit sometimes and I had to pull it back up and tighten it. How SVB ever got it that low I don't know. Must have pulled down the netting with its little SVB hands. Grrrrrrrrrr. Another experiment bites the dust.
Oh by the way, whoever sent me these seeds would you please PM me? I neglected to write down who they're from and I wanted to give you a happy update.
So I was walking by the yellow crookneck squash this morning and the leaves looked a little limp. I thought it might due to the netting, that I had wrapped around the stem, holding water on the leaf stems. Lo and behold behold the SVB got it. There was a little entrance hole down at the bottom and frass everywhere. I did notice the netting seemed to be moved down a little bit sometimes and I had to pull it back up and tighten it. How SVB ever got it that low I don't know. Must have pulled down the netting with its little SVB hands. Grrrrrrrrrr. Another experiment bites the dust.
Oh by the way, whoever sent me these seeds would you please PM me? I neglected to write down who they're from and I wanted to give you a happy update.

CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Foiling the Squash Vine Borer; Great Stuff Foam on Squash Vines?
So I emailed my county extension office asking for the approximate date that SVB stops laying eggs in my area. They don't know but sent me this interesting link:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/squash-vine-borers/
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/squash-vine-borers/
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a

» squash vine borer
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» Squash Vine Borer - the sequel
» Squash vine Borers!!
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» Squash Vine Borer - the sequel
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