Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Yeah those squash bugs are pretty tenacious creatures. Once you get them it's hard to get rid of them without chemicals. I need to start planning where for sure I want my little garden beds. I'm just going to try to make some small ones closer to the house this year so I can handle them better & not have to drag the hose up the hill 100 feet. I need to go look at my friend's beds she has & see how she built hers because I need something to keep the chickens out & if I remember right she has lattice around hers. I would rather not have to have ugly fence up right by the driveway if I don't have to so I want something that will look nicer.

 

[chicken danz]

I plan to plant my tomatoes in the flower beds this year but I have no idea how I'll keep the birds out of them. They just don't do well at all in the garden. It's too fertile for them. In fact if I hadn't put so much work into that spot I would move the veggie garden some where else. I have to fight mice from the birds pens that come in and eat on the produce. These silly cats aren't hunting where I really need them to. I guess I can hope that if they get the population thinned out where they are hunting they'll move to where I need them. The next litter is for sure going to have to be tamer.
I couldn't even contain the squash bugs using chemicals last year. I'd have to apply it about every 10 days and I don't like the idea of killing any bees. I finally just gave up and let them have it. Surely squash bugs have some type of natural predator even though I have no idea what it might be. My birds aren't interested in eating them.

 

[thndrdancr]

Milky spore is about the only thing I have ever heard working for squash bugs. I finally broke down and bought some I found at Menards last year. It's expensive but I guess it continues to spread year after year so probably cost effective in the end. I learned about from Jerry Baker radio show, the guy really is good for lots of stuff. I use his natural "plant shampoo" too a And boy do flowers and things perk up after using it. He just advocates using household products, so much cheaper.
Oh and it works, after 15 years never getting more than 1 or 2 squash, last yeR was my first without the darn bugs! Yea!
I try to use natural products when I can. I use oregano oil for cocci and possible wormer for my birds. It kills cocci immediately. Not 100 percent on how good a wormer it is but that rooster I osted a picture of was almost dead in the coop last month, I found him laying on his side on floor unable to lift his head. Brought him in, dosed him, he passed a big tapeworm and was up walking around in an hour. I don't know if he had a heavenly intervention or what but it was a little weird!

 

[chicken danz]

Milky spore is about the only thing I have ever heard working for squash bugs. I finally broke down and bought some I found at Menards last year. It's expensive but I guess it continues to spread year after year so probably cost effective in the end. I learned about from Jerry Baker radio show, the guy really is good for lots of stuff. I use his natural "plant shampoo" too a And boy do flowers and things perk up after using it. He just advocates using household products, so much cheaper.
Oh and it works, after 15 years never getting more than 1 or 2 squash, last yeR was my first without the darn bugs! Yea!
I try to use natural products when I can. I use oregano oil for cocci and possible wormer for my birds. It kills cocci immediately. Not 100 percent on how good a wormer it is but that rooster I osted a picture of was almost dead in the coop last month, I found him laying on his side on floor unable to lift his head. Brought him in, dosed him, he passed a big tapeworm and was up walking around in an hour. I don't know if he had a heavenly intervention or what but it was a little weird!

So how do you use Oregano oil for cocci. I'd be interested in learning more about that cause I'm always getting asked about cures. And how do you use it as a wormer? I'm interested in anything natural rather than chemicals.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

I don't use any chemicals at all on anything here because of the severe reactions I have to the stuff. I use a lot of natural dish soap and water whenever I need to get rid of bugs. My SIL had something on her zucchini terrible last year and she sent her kids out with a sprayer full of dish soap and water to spray the plants down. The kids had a blast doing it and the bugs fell off the plants dead, in droves. She had to keep applying it every couple weeks to keep the off the plants, but she was tickled how well it worked. I think I had so many weeds the bugs had a harder time finding my garden. Unfortunately I had a harder time caring for everything as well!! :/ thndrdancr I'll have to remember the milky spore for this next year!

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Milky spore is about the only thing I have ever heard working for squash bugs. I finally broke down and bought some I found at Menards last year. It's expensive but I guess it continues to spread year after year so probably cost effective in the end. I learned about from Jerry Baker radio show, the guy really is good for lots of stuff. I use his natural "plant shampoo" too a And boy do flowers and things perk up after using it. He just advocates using household products, so much cheaper.
Oh and it works, after 15 years never getting more than 1 or 2 squash, last yeR was my first without the darn bugs! Yea!
I try to use natural products when I can. I use oregano oil for cocci and possible wormer for my birds. It kills cocci immediately. Not 100 percent on how good a wormer it is but that rooster I osted a picture of was almost dead in the coop last month, I found him laying on his side on floor unable to lift his head. Brought him in, dosed him, he passed a big tapeworm and was up walking around in an hour. I don't know if he had a heavenly intervention or what but it was a little weird!

I'm curious how you gave it as well. I've put oregano oil drops in their water occasionally when they seem to be coming down with something but never given it straight. I do know that it's a powerful natural antbacterial and helps fight infections.

 

[thndrdancr]

Chicken Danzig, I order the wild Mediterranean oregano oil, you have to mix it with olive oil and then just give it to them. I just put in in the edge of their beaks but I know you have to be careful not to aspirate. I try to make them swallow it. I have a iPhone so can't link but if you do a search on oregano oil as a coccidiastat you will pull up all kinds of info. I used to use Corid (amprolium) but it takes several days to work by depriving the organism of a much needed b vitamin. I had several little peachicks die in my arms as well as a few chicken chicks. It just doesn't take effect fast enough.

Since I didn't have insurance, I had been using oregano oil on myself for colds and flu, and as I knew it was also one of the few things that actually kills the mrsa staph I had an idea. Did a search and lo and behold, they were experimenting over in European countries as a lot of our chemicals we use here have been banned. Well I used it next time I had an ailing chick and it was holy crap batman!!! The chicks looked better within the hour!!!!

Turns out oregano kills the cocci oocysts almost instantly!!! Whereas Corid you have to keep dosing and wait for it to take effect while poor little bird gets sicker and sicker. Well anyway that's been my experience. You pretty much have to order it online, I did get it from a health food store one time but I bout died at the price, $25 for a one ounce bottle. Much much cheaper online and is good to have in your arsenal. It's a very potent antibiotic.

 

[thndrdancr]

I can't vouch for it as a total wormer, it helps but would probably need several doses maybe? But for cocci and infections it's the best you can do!

I didn't really answer the how. I usually use several drops of oregano per about tablespoon of olive oil. Maybe Is little stronger depending on what your dealing with. I usually mix up 1/4 cup at one time and that will dose a lot of birds. I only give them a beakful.

 

[cherwill]

Hmmm, I've never heard of Milky Spore. I googled it and I think I'll try it. We usually rely on the "pick them off" method of pest control, but it doesn't work with squash bugs. We've tried neem and dish soap and other natural remedies and it barely makes a dent.

 

[chicken danz]

I've not had good luck with any natural type squash bug remedies before. And I am having trouble finding any reference that says the milky spore will work on them but I figure it is worth a try. I need to grow my vines because that is a major source of food for my birds in the summer months.
I $4 packet of seeds can produce hundreds of dollars of produce if I can keep the squash bugs at bay.