If you’ve ever found your zucchini or squash plant wilted and dead virtually overnight, it was probably due to the squash vine borer. In this video I show you how to know, what to look for, and how to get rid of it.
It’s not pretty, but it’s necessary if you want to have hope of saving your plant.
Years ago, when I first described these symptoms to my mom, who had grown squash for years, she told me that the wilting and dying of the plant was due to heat. More likely, we realized, it was the squash vine borer, a more common pest than you think.
Preventing it organically has proved impossible for me, and I’ve tried many methods — would love suggestions though! — so doing what I show in the video has been my only way of saving my zucchini and squash plants.
I think this is my last year growing squash and zucchini. The squash bugs are terrible. They killed my plants along with the borer and invaded my cucumbers.
Get a mixture of BT in liquid form, inject it about 2 inches above the entrance hole on the base of the plant. The meat of the plants base is porous and will hold about a cc or more of the BT mixture. The grub will die and the plant will survive if the grub hasn't done too much damage nut the BT will not harm the plant.Digging the grub out often kills the plant on it' own.
Hope that helps.
Chuck
get yourself some bt and spray the plants and the hills; it can also be injected directly into the soil. for those larvae, or worms, that have made it inside the stem – inject a small amount as been mentioned. you may have 2 or even 3 rounds of them per year but there's no need to abandon your winter squash!
I have not had any vine bores yet, but I wanna be ready. This critter can be a nuisance..
The Chickens will love it! Nicely put together Jill, Have you looked up using a turky baster, injector to inject BT in to the vine, it looks a pretty good solution, and less damaging,.
Wish you had smashed that Stinkbug at 1:58, Thanks for the video.
Here's my approach using a dental pick… an exacting method of for when you find them early, instructables.com/id/How-to-Hunt-Vine-Bores/ –yes, feed to the girls
Blessings
I started injecting BT mixed with water into the stem just above the hole where the grub pushes the excrement out. I get a much better rate of success than I did by digging them out.
I use a produce called Caterpillar Killer.
Take care and good luck!
Chuck
We don’t have squash vine bore but did transplant these about 2 days ago. Is this a common problem to have? Would B1 liquid help.
I woke up this morning and one of my zuchinni plants were wilted. Not due to watering. I guess I am going out to perform surgery. Will let you know how it goes, thanks Jil!!
Thank you I’ll give it a try
Thank you so much for this!! Bore hunting here I come!
Ty. Mine was beautiful and then down it went. I am sick. Will take my knife and go look. Blame worms.
is that a 'Bama accent I hear?
Every year our squash and zucchini start out producing well and vine borers always kill them off here in SE Louisiana. My problem is that the vine borer moth (I've located and killed a few) tend to lay so many eggs! I tried the surgical technique a few years back with no success – likely, I waited to long to act! Thanks again for another interesting video!
Thank you!
Thank you so much! I spent two hours this morning digging them out. So nasty. I'm hoping my pumpkins will make it