SQUASH VINE BORERS - HOW TO PREVENT?

[drewskimac]

Alright BYC, i've struggled with the vine borers for years now. I've tried D/E, companion planting and i check my plants probably 3x a day and always perform surgery and pull out the little monsters as soon as I see sign of them.

Has anybody been successful in preventing them from damaging their plants? I've hear talk of wrapping aluminum foil around the base of the vine, has anybody had any success with this?

 

[SueT]

Get some BT, Bacillus thuringiensis.....it's a bacteria that kills worms and caterpillars. Comes in liquid or powder. Have to put it on early to prevent those borers.

 

[lazy gardener]

I've heard of burying the base of the plant in soil. Spinosad is supposed to be a good preventive, sprayed every ? 10 - 14 days. You would have to check the recommended schedule for your area. IMO, I'd rather use some insecticides so I can harvest a crop than go totally organic and watch the pests destroy my entire harvest.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with Sue. BT is approved for organic farming (I think).

 

[SueT]

BT is reco'd by the organic gardening guru, You Bet Your Garden host, Mike McGrath.

 

[drewskimac]

Thankyou both. I will look into those. I agree, lazy - I think a lot of people get discouraged by how difficult it is to go totally organic, and then don't get any harvests from their hard work and money spent. We are all doing the best we can - we would have to try really hard to produce our own food that isn't significantly healthier and cleaner for our bodies than what we buy in the grocery stores.

 

[drewskimac]

Is this the type of thing you are suggesting? https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-...458002&sr=8-2&keywords=Bacillus+thuringiensis.

 

[SueT]

I think it is but can't read the label ingredients entirely. I got mine at Home Depot. It was labelled B.T. and the bacteria was the only active ingredient.

 

[drewskimac]

Get some BT, Bacillus thuringiensis.....it's a bacteria that kills worms and caterpillars. Comes in liquid or powder. Have to put it on early to prevent those borers.

I've been doing research and all i'm finding is instructions on how to use it to kill already existing vine borers in your plants. How would you suggest I use it for prevention?

 

[SueT]

If they are already bored into the stem, it probably is too late. So to prevent, just keep reapplying the bt especially after rain. I don't have any of it left this year so will see if Home Depot has more in stock. I like the powder better than the liquid. It also works really well for cabbage worms.