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In the above I find the graph confusing. Attracting the moth is not the same as able to deter the moth. My understanding of the C. moshata group was the stem is different and can resist the boring of the hatched larvae.

The above information, says there is only a difference of " attraction" of the adult moth. IDK now.

What I do know is that one year I grew a big patch of butternuts and not one plant died. I was rather ignorant of the squash vine borer at the time. Lots of fruits to set on the stairway to second floor, and they held rather well over the winter, with only a few losses due to rot; still eating them into early spring. This experience is spurring me on to have winter squash as a staple this year.

Of course, today is cold and rainy--- NOT what squash like. Worried that the season will be too short this year for the winter squash, which are NOT planted yet.
 
From MOther Earth---

Organic Squash Vine Borer Control
Good organic control of squash vine borers involves using a combo of several different methods. Butternut squash and other varieties classified as Cucurbita moschata are naturally resistant to squash vine borers. At the other extreme, Hubbard type winter squash varieties are highly preferred, and can be used as part of a trap cropping scheme. Grow three healthy Hubbard plants in a mound, protecting them from squash bugs with row cover. In early summer, uncover the Hubbard plants and install a pheromone-baited squash vine borer trap, or surround the plants with small yellow pails two-thirds full of water. The adult moths are attracted by the color yellow, and often drop in and drown.

Meanwhile, grow your preferred squash and pumpkins under row covers until the plants begin to bloom. When the covers are removed, use pieces of row cover, tulle (wedding net) or aluminum foil to cover any sections of exposed low stem. Use a piece of masking tape to remove any eggs seen on plant stems close to the ground. Finding and removing scattered squash vine borer eggs is very difficult to do well.

If you are seeing moths among your plants or in yellow pail traps, ambush visiting moths in the early evening and bring them down with a butterfly net, badminton racquet or squirt of hair spray. The big moths have hairy bodies, so the sticky liquid stops them from flying, making them easy to collect and kill. An individual moth can lay more than 150 eggs in her lifetime, so nabbing only a few in a home garden can make a big difference.

Surgical intervention is often worthwhile if you have only a few plants. As soon as you see a hole with frass coming out of it on a low squash or pumpkin stem, use a sharp, narrow knife to make a slit in the stem near the hole. Use tweezers or forceps to remove the borers inside (there may be two of them). Then cover the stem with mulch. Once you learn through experience where borers lurk inside stems, you can simply poke straight pins into the stem to kill the larvae inside as an alternative to cutting the stems open.

Another strategy is to use varieties that form long vines that root as they run. Many heirloom varieties of summer squash do this, and squash and pumpkins classified as C. maxima will develop supplemental roots when allowed to spread. These roots are often sufficient to support continued growth even if a plant’s primary crown is lost to squash vine borers.


More Advice on Organic Squash Vine Borer Control
Use floating row covers to protect plants until they start to bloom. When adults are seen, swat or trap them to reduce problems the rest of the season.

Squash vine borer larvae do not burrow very deeply, and are turned up with routine cultivation. If you keep chickens or other poultry, allow them to clean up beds where you plan to grow squash or pumpkins before the crops are planted, and again at the end of the season.

Pull up and dispose of infested plants in an active compost pile.

More information on organic squash vine borer control is available from ATTRA, Cornell University, Kansas State University, Ohio State University and University of Minnesota.

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Another good article--- includes identifying the evidence of vine borer damage. Know your pest!!
https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-vine-borer

CONTROL AND PREVENTION
HOW TO GET RID OF SQUASH VINE BORERS
  • If you catch them VERY early, you can manually remove the squash vine borer. Slit the lower stem lengthwise with a fine, sharp knife to remove the larva by hand. Gardeners can make a vertical slit in the stem with a sharp knife and manually remove the larvae. One plant can house several. Then cover the slit stem section with moist soil about the point of injury to promote formation of secondary roots. Also, extra rich soil near the vines helps rerooting.
  • Or, if you spot entrance holes and “sawdust,” try inserting a wire and thread through the stem for some distance to kill the inside larvae.
  • Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the stalks when the squash vines are small. Reapply after rain. Also, build up the soil around the vines. Or, sprinkle black pepper around the plants as a defense.
  • If possible, catch and destroy the moths at twilight or in early morning when they are resting on the upper side of leaf bases.
  • There are insecticides, too, but timing is critical; they are effective when applied at the time that eggs are hatching. The biological insecticide B.t. (Dipel) can be injected into the squash stems, however, it is not usually effective because the larvae are protected inside the plant. Many find carbaryl (Sevin) to work. See your local garden store for advice on appropriate chemical controls.
  • Trap the adult orange moths with yellow sticky traps and yellow-colored bowls of soapy water.
  • A trap crop of very early-planted Hubbard squash can be used to alleviate pest pressure on other squash.
  • Plant extra squash for the pests! They are around for 6 to 8 weeks and can only eat so much (or, so we think!).
  • An old folk remedy from The 1963 Old Farmer’s Almanac says that wood ashes were effective against the squash vine borer.
get-rid-of-squash-vine-borer_full_width.jpg


Photo Credit: Lee Jenkins, University of Missouri Extension. Larvae of the squash vine borer can destroy cucurbit stems if not controlled and prevented.

PREVENT SQUASH VINE BORERS
  • Sometimes the best solution is to start your squash as early as possible. This way you’ll be harvesting before the summer time when vine borers become active. If you plant early, you may need to be prepared to cover your plants in case of frosts.
  • Do not plant squash in the same bed two years in a row. Squash vine borers overwinter in cocoons in the soil. Also, clean up ALL debris and clean up your soil in the fall.
  • As soon as the squash is harvested, get rid of the vines. Till the soil in the fall and spring to get rid of overwintering pupae.
  • Preventative measures include covering the stems with a barrier, such as strips of nylon stockings or aluminum foil, to prevent egg laying.
  • Importing parasitic wasps prior to the egg stage can be helpful as these wasps are the borers’ natural enemy.
  • One of the better solutions is to cover crops with floating row covers to prevent egg laying (but only if you are sure there aren’t pupae overwintering in the soil). You can also drape these row covers over frames. This will not only give you a head start over pests but protect your plants from strong heat and frost.
  • If you give up on zucchini, which is susceptive to vine borers, try growing a squash that’s more resistant such as Cucuzzi (Lagenaria siceraria), also known variously as the snake gourd; it’s pale green and twists and spirals like a snake.
Click to expand...
 
Ashes is listed above, but as lore, not fact.

Here is a comment from an Almanac contributor---

VINE BORER MADNESS

Submitted by Lisa L. on July 31, 2018 - 3:16pm

I've been gardening in Connecticut for over 40 years and for the last 20, the vine borers are a yearly battle. I have tried every method of prevention and treatment mentioned in this article and all the replies, but those dang worms win! This year I tried the "bait crop" method. Plant squash, wait until you see signs of vine Borer damage, i.e frass and/or sudden wilted leaves and then dig the entire plant out, getting some of the dirt around the roots and either immediately burn it, or put the affected plants in a heavy duty trash bag and tie it tightly at the top. The concept is that the borers will be eliminated in the larva stage and the life cycle is broken. Since we had snow and freezing temps into late April this year, I had to start my bait crop inside. I planted the seedlings (yellow crookneck squash) out the 3rd week of May and on June 15th I found frass at the base of several stems. Dug the plants out and before they got tossed into my fire pit, I did some investigating and slit open the stems from several plants. I was not prepared for the sheer number of borers each plant contained. My biggest plant, contained 56, yes 56 individual borers ranging from just barely visible in size to well over an inch. Every stem had borers, even those showing no signs of frass or wilting so apparently they enter in numbers through one hole then spread out into the various stems. Not only were they near the frass, but throughout the hollow stems and I even found some when I split open the thick veins on the underside of the leaves. No wonder my prevention methods didn't work, once hatched, these borers go into every root, stem and leaf vein the plant has..After carefully dissecting the first 5 plants, taking care to kill every Borer found, all the plants went into my fire pit. I planted a second crop, in a location I never grew squash before. The plants are just big enough to have blossoms now. I have been carefully watching for the moths and doing the best I can to inspect for eggs and of course it happened again..... Today there were wilted leaves so I slit the stems down to the soil level and sure enough, Borer larva , the*&@#!!!!! things!
So despite planting a sacrificial crop early in the year, burning the entire crop once larva were found, the second crop planted at least 100 feet from the first, and planted where squash had never been grown before, the 2nd crop got attacked by the same thing. This also confirms that the cold North East states get 2 hatches per year.. So despite my longing for home grown organic yellow squash, crop #2 went into the fire pit today. I'm going to plant a 3rd crop and hope our fall is mild enough that I get squash.
By the way, I've spent time every day looking for the moths and never seen a single one, so these pests are very hard to prevent and control. Not sure what I'll try next, but I refuse to use chemicals and I refuse to give up!
 
Advice from an ALmanac contributor

SVB SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE WORKED FOR ME PLUS FUTURE OPTIONS

Submitted by JoeM on April 12, 2019 - 2:52am

I am not going to write too much because you never know if what you write is going to be published. First, there are many things to prolong the life of your plants that have been infected with squash vine borers. 1) Inject a homemade garlic insecticide into main stem of the plant with a syringe + needle. This worked for me when I injected every three days into zucchini plants that were infested. I do not think that the components of soap, garlic, and oil are going to poison me. They lived and produced fruit until the frost killed them. 2 ) For plants that spread out, such as pumpkin, cover each vine every two feet or less with soil and then water them heavily each time you cover a portion of the vine. Maybe do this once a week to correspond to your watering schedule. New roots will form at the locations where they were covered. The plant continues to thrive even if the plant dies at its original point of origin. This also helps if you have mildew emerging on the older leaves of the plant. Another option: How about breaking the cycle by planting only Cucurbita Moschata squash and pumpkins? If there are not many gardeners around you, this could be the trick. The squash vine borer can not survive inside the Moshcata family of squash because they have solid vines. I am trying this year Zucchini Rampicante (zucchini replacement), Waltham butternut squash, and Dickinson pumpkin (this a tan pumpkin like Waltham, but my kids will not care). All are Moschata and have solid vines. I do not know anyone else in my area that has a garden and plants squash. From experience, I do not believe any of the websites that say C. Maxima or some types of C. Pepo will survive the SVB onslaught. The only way they will flourish is by burying their vines every couple of feet or so and promote root growth at the buried vine. The following years I will plant different types so I can save their seeds.


SQUASH BORERS

Submitted by Dawn Parris on July 16, 2018 - 9:49am

We have lost several plants in years past to the dang borers!! Not anymore:) My husband is vigilant with his little shaker can of Sevin dust.
If it gets watered or washed away by rain, here he goes and sprinkles more. He keeps a little fine dusting around the stems (and up on the stems) of all our plants. NO borers. I am not usually so agreeable to using chemicals (in this case carbaryl 5%). But, we have tried everything else. This really works.


SVb

Submitted by Jacque on June 11, 2018 - 12:51pm

I know this is a year old so you may have come to some resolution by now, but I thought I would comment anyhow. I thought your comment was very observant. I live in north Texas and I have dealt with SVB for 4 years now. It is definitely a formidable pest for a home gardener. I grow organically and have tried all of the methods recommended by supposed agricultural specialists and internet advisers such as wrapping the base of the stem, manual removal of the larva by “surgical cutting”, hand picking the eggs, injecting BT into the stem, stringing a wire to impale larva, and row covering. Of all these methods, the only successful method by any means at all was row covering. Every other method fails for their respective reasons. Aside from row covering, planting early may be an option that would allow at lease some harvest before the arrival of the borer. I have done that before with a few zucchini coming off the vine before infestation, but in Texas, you have a much shorter time before temperatures warm up and the SVB arrives. Other than that, I have learned to grow varieties of cucumbers that they leave be. I am unable to grow pumpkins or winter squashes, gourds or anything of the sort. I do think there is some truth to what you say about some places making organic methods less pragmatic. Good luck to you in your garden.

SUCCESSFUL AND EASY CONTROL OF SQUASH VINE BORRERS

Submitted by Charles Mayo on July 12, 2016 - 12:16am

I have looked over many sites dealing with Controls for squash Vine borer. With a heavy infestation of these moths I have fought to protect squash using nearly all the suggested methods. Some work(complete netting of the plants) but are very labor intensive. Finally I watched the moths in the garden for many hours (letting them do their nasty work without disturbing them) and realized that they are extremely sensitive and careful when laying (THIS IS THE KEY TO CONTROL!!!!!). I then developed a much Less labor intensive method that seems to work Exceptionally well. Chopping hay in 2 to 4 inch lengths I let the hay lightly fall over the stalks, particularly the base, and even onto fruit to form a very open matrix. The moths will not land and lay, it appears to prevent landing of the moths. It's possible to walk through the garden and drop fluffy handfuls of chopped hay over any exposed vines every few days quickly and efficiently, apparently completely discouraging the egg laying. This is an organic method(Obviously) and takes relatively little time in a small home garden. If this approach is used Diligently it is nearly 100% effective. Anyone using the technique needs to make just a matrix of hay, Very open and loose, LIGHTLY ALLOWED TO DROP OPENLY, A HAND FULL AT A TIME (no need to put a lot) but with small enough gaps so that the moth is discouraged. The moths DO NOT LIKE CLOSED AREAS, THEY WANT OPEN ACCESS TO STALKS AND FRUIT - AGAIN, THIS ISTHE KEY). You don't have to pack in the chopped straw, just scatter it with most pieces looking like open "pick up sticks", that seems to be all that's needed. If you experiment with this method you will find it EXTREMELY effective and efficient. I've tried to spread the word on many garden sites but have not been successful, please share the idea. Call it the Mayo technique!
 
https://www.growjourney.com/prevent-stop-squash-vine-borers/#.XQKMWBZKhxA

After having read that the eggs can be laid ANYWHERE on the squash: the stem and the leaves, wrapping with foil or newspaper seems useless.

And this source actually makes a point of mentioning that wrapping is useless. Which would also negate applying ashes to the stem as well.

Seems the best answer might be to apply BT weekly, and after a rain. Put out yellow bowls, yellow buckets or yellow sticky traps. Cull infected plants-- the larvae can travel thru the entire vine. Maybe inject nematodes inside the vine ( hoping they can travel to every nook and cranny. Work on decreasing the population by reducing the eggs, adults and larvae count; rotating crops as they get into the soil below suspeptable vegetable varieties not just squash ( cukes) ; maybe introduce nematodes into the soils; plant crops that are less bothered by this pest to break the cycle.
 
Arielle2 said:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/l...-acids-in-eggs-from-small-chicken-flocks.html

An article on how to increase DHA in our layer feed. Excerpts.

You can increase the level of omega-3 fatty acids in the eggs that your hens lay by including flaxseed in their feed. The flaxseed contains a type of omega-3 fatty acid called a -linolenic acid and the hen will deposit a significant amount of this dietary fatty acid into the egg yolk. The hen will also convert some of the a -linolenic acid into smaller amounts of other forms of omega-3 fatty acids and deposit them into the egg yolk.

A suggested laying hen ration that will increase the omega-3 fatty acids in the eggs from your hens:

Wheat 40 kg
Oats 15 kg
Layer Supplement 25 kg
Flaxseed 10 kg
Limestone 8 kg
Canola oil 2 kg
Total 100 kg
Consult your feed supplier for the exact proportion of grain, supplement and limestone (or oyster shell). You must feed this diet for three weeks before omega-3 fatty acids will increase substantially in the eggs.

The grain portion of the hen ration can be made up of wheat, barley or oats. At least half of the grain should be wheat to help counteract some of the sticky compounds in the other grains and flaxseed. Some oats is suggested because it contains more linoleic acid than the other grains. Feeding a quarter of the grain as whole kernels will help the hen to develop a strong, muscular gizzard that can grind the flaxseed for improved release of the oil.

Overfeeding flaxseed can cause problems for your hens because flaxseed contains sticky compounds that stop the hen from digesting some of the nutrients in her diet. Flaxseed also contains a compound called linoline that may increase the birds' vitamin requirements. Feeding too much flaxseed can cause production drops, small egg size, reduced body weight gain and thin egg shells. Including 10% flaxseed will increase the omega-3 fatty acids in your eggs and not cause problems for your birds.

Feeding an excess of flaxseed may produce an undesirable egg for you and your family. Too much flaxseed can darken the yolks and leave a fishy taste in the yolk. An excess of flaxseed may increase the omega-3 fatty acids in the egg yolk at the expense of omega-6 fatty acids which are also beneficial in your diet.

It is recommended that you feed the flaxseed to your hens as whole seeds instead of grinding it up. The fat in flaxseed tends to become rancid quickly once the seed has been ground. Rancid fat can give off flavours in the egg, increase the hens' need for vitamins such as Vitamin E, cause egg production to fall, and most importantly will not increase the omega-3 fatty acid levels in the eggs. Grinding the seed will also produce an oily ration, which tends to stick to your feeders.

Use a commercially prepared supplement, in the correct proportions, to supply the vitamins needed by your hens. Feeding fresh "greens" is not an adequate replacement for a layer supplement.








And why.
http://www.lifesdha.com/en_US/facts.html


Understanding the Role that Each Omega-3 Plays
Today, more and more food products claim to be a good source of omega-3s, but not all omega-3s are created equal. There are three major omega-3 fatty acids each with distinct health benefits:

  • Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
    DHA, a long chain omega-3 fatty acid, is the most abundant omega-3 in the brain and eye. It is also an important structural component of heart tissue and is naturally found in breastmilk.

  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)
    EPA, a long chain omega-3 fatty acid, is important for human health. While EPA is not stored in significant levels in the brain and eye, it plays a very important role in the body, especially for heart health.

  • Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)
    ALA, an essential fatty acid (EFA), is a shorter-chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a source of energy for the body. It can also convert to EPA and DHA, but in very limited amounts. ALA has been found to be beneficial for heart health.
DHA omega-3 foods and sources inlude
The Importance of DHA in the Diet
Americans Do Not Consume Enough DHA
On average, the typical American diet contains less than 100mg of DHA per day, well below the amount recommended by several expert organizations around the world. Fortunately, as research continues to demonstrate the importance of DHA, foods fortified with DHA are becoming increasingly available making it easier to include in your daily diet.

How much DHA do you consume? How much DHA should you consume?

Several expert bodies around the world have made recommendations for DHA intake among various populations.

Pregnant and Nursing Women
  • 200mg/day of DHA for pregnant and lactating women was the recommendation by a workshop sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (NIH/ISSFAL).
  • LEARN MORE About DHA for Pregnant and Nursing Women
Infants
  • A workshop sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (NIH/ISSFAL), a joint Expert Committee of the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) and the Child Health Foundation have all recommended the inclusion of DHA and ARA in infant formula.
  • LEARN MORE About DHA for Infants
Children and Adults
Dietary Sources of DHA
Dietary sources of DHA include:
  • Algae - Certain algae are natural sources of DHA and EPA. While most people believe that fish produce their own DHA and EPA, in fact, it’s the algae in their food chain that makes them a rich source of these omega-3s.
    • life'sDHA, produced from algae, is a natural vegetarian source of DHA. life'sDHA is available in dietary supplements, foods and beverages, and is added to the vast majority of infant formula sold in the US.
    • life’s™OMEGA, produced from algae, is a vegetarian source of DHA and EPA. life’s™OMEGA is available in dietary supplements, foods and beverages.
  • Fatty fish including anchovies, salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna and halibut.
  • Eggs naturally contain small amounts of DHA, but new DHA enriched eggs can contain up to 57mg of DHA per egg.
  • DHA fortified foods, beverages and supplements.
Does flaxseed oil contain DHA?
Flaxseed oil is a source of alpha-linolenic acid, ALA, a precursor of DHA. ALA is an important source of energy, however there are no known specific benefits of ALA on brain or eye development and function. While the human body can convert ALA to DHA and EPA, it occurs at a rate of less than 1%, so it is best to consume preformed DHA directly for the health benefits.
Click to expand...
 
Arielle2 said:
Chopping hay in 2 to 4 inch lengths I let the hay lightly fall over the stalks, particularly the base, and even onto fruit to form a very open matrix. The moths will not land and lay, it appears to prevent landing of the moths. It's possible to walk through the garden and drop fluffy handfuls of chopped hay over any exposed vines every few days quickly and efficiently, apparently completely discouraging the egg laying. This is an organic method(Obviously) and takes relatively little time in a small home garden. If this approach is used Diligently it is nearly 100% effective. Anyone using the technique needs to make just a matrix of hay, Very open and loose, LIGHTLY ALLOWED TO DROP OPENLY, A HAND FULL AT A TIME (no need to put a lot) but with small enough gaps so that the moth is discouraged. The moths DO NOT LIKE CLOSED AREAS, THEY WANT OPEN ACCESS TO STALKS AND FRUIT - AGAIN, THIS ISTHE KEY). You don't have to pack in the chopped straw, just scatter it with most pieces looking like open "pick up sticks", that seems to be all that's needed. If you experiment with this method you will find it EXTREMELY effective and efficient. I've tried to spread the word on many garden sites but have not been successful, please share the idea. Call it the Mayo technique!
Click to expand...

I wonder if cut grass from the yard will work, I will try
 

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