Help identifying a bug on squash

Ha-v-v 7/4/2011, 2:28 pm

Today while watering I was inspecting the squash plant, and this time there were a ton of these white bugs on one leaf. I hate bugs, Im sick of flicking, and squishing, so gross. This is a new one Ive not seen before on the forum. I searched google not finding it, usually do well on google but flunking today.

Help identifying a bug on squash Squash10

I know its a bad pic, but battery was dying as I was working this morning. And I found a praying mantis today near those bugs.

Ha-v-v

MarcyG 7/4/2011, 3:04 pm

Possible squash bug?

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1208.html

Ha-v-v 7/4/2011, 3:13 pm

Very well could be, Im just grossed out Smile

lolol dont want to treat too much if I cant kill them. I can fight the borer with thuricide in the vine. I will hunt how to get them gone Smile

just in case its them.
Ha-v-v

westie42 7/4/2011, 3:21 pm

Once I had a few of those on my butternut squash plants. Then a couple days later there were a thousand of them there. I ran to the hardware for some seven and that made them all disappear. May not be what folks wanted to hear for a solution but I felt desperate at the moment.

Ha-v-v 7/4/2011, 3:30 pm

westie42 wrote:Once I had a few of those on my butternut squash plants. Then a couple days later there were a thousand of them there. I ran to the hardware for some seven and that made them all disappear. May not be what folks wanted to hear for a solution but I felt desperate at the moment.

LOL I totally understand, there were a lot of them on one huge leaf.. I was so freaked out I was flicking things with my finger~~ then I ran for the thuricide ( I dont spray during the day due to bees usually) and!!!! the thuricide aka bt is only good for 24 hrs.. this was a few days old) I sprayed and out popped a praying mantis!!! I was hoping I didnt kill him, I moved him to another leaf far away. I went searching and found that dish soap and water is supposed to suffocate the squash bug, until now they said nothing would.(at least what I had read up to now) We will see Im going to go out later when it stops raining and see:)

How to get rid of squash bugs
http://www.elperfecto.com/2010/06/25/squash-bugs-what-are-they-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them/

Thank you Marcy for that link to the bugs, I am going with nymph at the moment. Smile

Ha-v-v

shannon1 7/5/2011, 2:31 am

Ha-v-v wrote:Today while watering I was inspecting the squash plant, and this time there were a ton of these white bugs on one leaf. I hate bugs, Im sick of flicking, and squishing, so gross. This is a new one Ive not seen before on the forum. I searched google not finding it, usually do well on google but flunking today.

I know its a bad pic, but battery was dying as I was working this morning. And I found a praying mantis today near those bugs.

Ha-v-v

I'm no bug expert but they look like part of the True Bug family which include baddies like squash,stink, big legged, and bed bugs. But also goodies like damsel, assissan, and minuite pirate bugs. When I find potentially bad bugs clustered on a leaf I just pluck the leaf off and disopse of it.

FarmerValerie 7/5/2011, 8:28 am

Squash bugs!!! They are newly hatched if there were a bunch of them, I see them daily. I pick the adults and feed them to the chickens, the ones that size I use a home made spray of 1 cup water, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, and 1-2 tbsp of dish soap. You can use that for the adults also, it does work. For the eggs I use a bought spray (VERY carefully, because it kills good bugs too) and then scrape them off and squish them. For the adults I use a 2 liter bottle with the top cut off at the label line, and turned upside down into the bottle to gather them, if you don't have chickens you can add hot soapy water to the bottle, but I would wait until you are done gathering them in case the bottle falls over.

Ha-v-v 7/5/2011, 11:18 am

Ha-v-v I'm no bug expert but they
look like part of the True Bug family which include baddies like
squash,stink, big legged, and bed bugs. But also goodies like damsel,
assissan, and minuite pirate bugs. When I find potentially bad bugs
clustered on a leaf I just pluck the leaf off and disopse of it.

Good idea about taking the leaf off, Ive done that with the eggies before. But yesterday ekkkkkkkkk, seeing so many at once just caused me to freak. I did take a leaf off to spray with soapy water this morning though Smile

FarmerValerie wrote:Squash bugs!!! They are newly hatched if there were a bunch of them, I see them daily. I pick the adults and feed them to the chickens, the ones that size I use a home made spray of 1 cup water, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, and 1-2 tbsp of dish soap. You can use that for the adults also, it does work. For the eggs I use a bought spray (VERY carefully, because it kills good bugs too) and then scrape them off and squish them. For the adults I use a 2 liter bottle with the top cut off at the label line, and turned upside down into the bottle to gather them, if you don't have chickens you can add hot soapy water to the bottle, but I would wait until you are done gathering them in case the bottle falls over.

Ekkk like I said so many at once, blech disgusting etc. I found a video that talked about soapy water.. I did that with some Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and water, it worked Smile

I like the idea of the 2 liter bottle, is it like a trap and they slide down in there?
The plant is doing well Ive kept up on the things as much as possible. I treat with thuricide "intravenously" lololol big horse syrynge. I have an abundance of straight neck squash for our soups, or by itself. I do have 3 plants in one square foot too Smile

Thank you all for the thoughts and suggestions Smile

its greatly appreciated.
Ha-v-v

FarmerValerie 7/5/2011, 12:14 pm

I have to "place" them in the bottle myself, I hold them there until I'm done. Last year I used a small bucket with hot soapy water, but they still would occasionally climb out of the water and then out of the bucket, and if I knocked it over, oi vey, they would run. The bottle makes a difference, I don't tape it shut either, which means I still have to be carefull not to knock it over, but I have more time to stand it up if it falls, with less bugs running out.

jymarino 7/5/2011, 1:35 pm

I wonder if putting some vegetable oil in the water, along with the soap and water would keep them from getting out of the bucket?

Also, the link mentioned using regular dishsoap and water to kill them, does that really work? Does the soap really suffocate them? Since Sevin doesn't seem to do a thing to the adults, and soapy water is more organic anyway, I'd like to use it if I can.

If anyone has any experience, please let me know! Thanks!

Ha-v-v 7/5/2011, 7:12 pm

jymarino wrote:I wonder if putting some vegetable oil in the water, along with the soap and water would keep them from getting out of the bucket?

Also, the link mentioned using regular dishsoap and water to kill them, does that really work? Does the soap really suffocate them? Since Sevin doesn't seem to do a thing to the adults, and soapy water is more organic anyway, I'd like to use it if I can.

If anyone has any experience, please let me know! Thanks!

Soapy water works, I went down there this morning and made up a batch, I do not know the ratio I used.. just so it was soapy. I didnt spray the whole plant but directly on the offenders, it worked. They just stop walking like the video. Spraying them with water helps them come to the top and dry out it seems. I will do this every day from now on Smile

Check and spray.
Ha-v-v

FarmerValerie 7/6/2011, 8:39 am

That's what we do each morning, spray the plant with a good blast from the hose, it sends all the bugs running to the top of the plants. Then catch and feed to chickens, or spray smaller ones with the spray.

elenalee 7/29/2011, 2:47 am

thanks for the valuable information
i like the information
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FarmerValerie 7/29/2011, 7:57 am

You are welcome and Help identifying a bug on squash 396615

to the forum!!!

Goosegirl 7/29/2011, 8:10 am

elenalee wrote:thanks for the valuable information
i like the information
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Welcome from the other side of the world! Help identifying a bug on squash 396615

Tell us about your garden - if you have it set up yet. We love pictures! Especially of gardens around the world!

GG

teamhillbilly 8/2/2011, 9:30 am

I don't know the true name but this is a SquashBug&a very young one at that!!!!!!!!!!!! and they will kill your squash vines in short order get then out of the garden:pale: Shocked

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