Question about vine borer moths

[chickmom3941]

Hey guys! Does anyone know if the vine borer moths are finished laying their demonic spawn (eggs) in Minnesota yet?

From what I've read, they only lay eggs one time in MN (warmer states are cursed with two times). I've read that the estimated "safe" date would be somewhere in early-late July.

After my pumpkins and squash were mercilessly attacked last year, I decided to try an experiment this year - I planted my seeds in large black pots, and grew them in our screened porch, where the moths can't get at them. The plants are getting very big, and are starting to flower, so they need to get in the ground! Does anyone know if it's safe yet? I have a huge obsession with pumpkins & squash, and have a lot of them growing, of several different kinds. Thanks!

 

[Trish1974]

Well, I'm in Indiana and it is said the vine borers are done laying their eggs (I like your label better -"demon spawn" ) here by the end of June. So I would guess if you are a zone behind me they would be finishing up right about now.

Last year I tried a suggested method of putting out a second crop of zucchini on the 4th of July. It didn't go so well. The plants only got 1/3 as big as they should have and only got a few zucchini off them before they died of some other unknown cause. One of these years I hope to have the time and patience to try another anti-borer method; where you cover the entire plant in cheesecloth. The downside to that is you have to hand pollinate and I just don't know if I am disciplined enough to do that.

 

[chickmom3941]

Well, I'm in Indiana and it is said the vine borers are done laying their eggs (I like your label better -"demon spawn" ) here by the end of June. So I would guess if you are a zone behind me they would be finishing up right about now.

Last year I tried a suggested method of putting out a second crop of zucchini on the 4th of July. It didn't go so well. The plants only got 1/3 as big as they should have and only got a few zucchini off them before they died of some other unknown cause. One of these years I hope to have the time and patience to try another anti-borer method; where you cover the entire plant in cheesecloth. The downside to that is you have to hand pollinate and I just don't know if I am disciplined enough to do that.

Hi and thanks for the info. I figured the vine borer moths are probably almost (or totally) done laying around this time. I sure would hate to keep the pumpkins on the porch all this time, and then put them out like a week too early! That would really stink! You don't think your zucchini died from the vine borers last year, huh? Those buggers have to be one of the most difficult problems that I have encountered in the garden.
Is that one of your hens in the photo you uploaded? If so, is it an Australorp? Two of our hens are Australorps, and they look just like that! One of them is broody right now...

 

[Trish1974]

Yes, that is my australorp Peck and she went broody earlier this month! It took a week and a half to break her, it was awful for her, me and the rest of the flock!

I don't remember exactly what happened to my zucchini last year but the dying process looked different from the vine borer death. I have also read putting out dishes of soapy water in yellow bowls (yellow to attract the moths) will drown them but I haven't tried that trick yet.

 

[chickmom3941]

Yes, that is my australorp Peck and she went broody earlier this month! It took a week and a half to break her, it was awful for her, me and the rest of the flock!

I don't remember exactly what happened to my zucchini last year but the dying process looked different from the vine borer death. I have also read putting out dishes of soapy water in yellow bowls (yellow to attract the moths) will drown them but I haven't tried that trick yet.

Peck, that's a cute name! Yes, it's really hard to break a hen's broodiness when they want to hatch some eggs. Our broody hen, Bertha, has gone broody every summer since we got her (well, not counting the year where she was a chick herself, of course). Last year, we finally gave in and allowed her to hatch some eggs, because I wanted a few more hens in the flock. Well, she was a great mother and really no major problems, other than 4 of the 5 chicks that hatched were males. So we only got one more hen, "Princess" for the flock. Bertha went broody a few days ago, and we're considering ordering some female chicks to sneak under her at night (to make sure we get females this time). Not sure if we're going to or not, but will have to decide very quickly.

 

[spunxter]

I know old thread but I hate those borers so much! They
Decimated all my squash every year. I'm lucky if I get more then one fruit per plant. Many times none. I tried repeated sprayings of BT last year they still got in the vines. Also gonna try the yellow pots of soapy water next year. Maybe covering the vines up with something. They r relentless sob's. Anyone with any other remedies?

 

[Trish1974]

I'm over them, too. I haven't found anything to deter them and I'm done trying. Now I just make multiple plantings of zucchini seeds from late April - mid July to stagger the flowering cycle. That is supposedly when the moth lays its eggs.

 

[chickmom3941]

I know old thread but I hate those borers so much! They
Decimated all my squash every year. I'm lucky if I get more then one fruit per plant. Many times none. I tried repeated sprayings of BT last year they still got in the vines. Also gonna try the yellow pots of soapy water next year. Maybe covering the vines up with something. They r relentless sob's. Anyone with any other remedies?

My experiment mentioned above, in which I planted the pumpkin & squash seeds in pots and grew them on our porch till safe, worked quite well. I should have kept track of when we actually put them out in the garden. I think it was like the last week in July. The plants weren't exactly happy being transplanted (they don't like it), so they were a little slow perking up, but in the end, we had no vine borer problems and got LOTS of fruits. Next year, I'm planning on doing the same thing, although may try peat pots, if they make large ones, so that the plants don't suffer any transplant shock. Main thing though, is that we beat those destructive vine borer moths - yay!

 

[deepbluesea]

I've read that if you put toilet paper or paper towel rolls around the base of the vines it will keep them out. They come at night. I haven't tried this but plan to this spring. Where I am in NC they say that we have a spring and a fall flush of them--joy.

 

[Trish1974]

I've read that if you put toilet paper or paper towel rolls around the base of the vines it will keep them out. They come at night. I haven't tried this but plan to this spring. Where I am in NC they say that we have a spring and a fall flush of them--joy.

That's cool, I've never heard of that! If I don't forget it I'll try that next spring!