dying zucchini plants

[OHhappychicks]

I'm quite sure this has more than likely been commented on, but I didn't find anything in search. For the last several years we have put out zucchini plants. We may get 4-8 zucchini and then the plants die. For instance, this year we planted garden the 3rd week of June, as of yesterday, all of our zucchini plants have died. They are big, thriving plants one day and the next they are wilted and dead. Does anyone know what might be causing this? It is very frustrating. This year and last, we planted them in a raised bed. They are planted in the same vicinity as before the raised beds. We did our RB's lasagna style last year. If it were something in the same soil, I would think it was there. When we built the RB's, we used other dirt from another spot in the garden. Some one suggested a spider mite. All I know is they are healthy looking one day and gone the next!

 

[redsoxs]

I know heavy infestations of squash bugs can suck the life out of the plant down at the base - one day they look fantastic and the next they are dead. Have you looked underneath the large leaves at the bottom?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Two possibilities I can think of. Squash bugs can infect them with a disease that causes wilt. They can suck the juices out of them and kill them that way, but if it is sudden, maybe the wilt. If you see bugs that look like stink bugs, that’s the squash bug.

Squash vine borers are caterpillars that eat into the stem them eat along the stem from the inside. They kill the plant like you saw. Look at the base of the plant. If you see a hole with yellow stuff coming out (their poop) it’s squash vine borer.

So wilt from the squash bug or the squash vine borer.

 

[Life is Good!]

I concur on the squash bug.
We had a pretty intense infestation of them last year and never had a zucchini plant survive.
This year, I planted these veggies late and the bugs had no where to lay, and moved away! YEAH! Sorry for the neighbors...but glad for my plants. Cucumbers, squashes, zucchini's are all safe this year. Phew. Who knew it pays to procrastinate in planting?!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Thank you for all your replies! Unfortunately, all of our zucchini are gone. But I will remember this for next year. Life is Good, We planted ours the 3rd week of June. Maybe we should wait longer next year!! Does anyone have any remedies for these bugs? I really don't like using pesticides, so if anyone knows of another way would be awesome. This is the 2nd or 3rd year we have had this problem.

 

[3forfree]

here's a link to information on squash bugs

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef314.asp