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Squash vine borer. Seems every year I garden in SE Arizona, I discover another pest I never heard of previously. These really hit me hard this year. Just as the plants start to produce well, they collapse and die. I can find the places covered in sawdust where the grubs fed inside the vine. As a retired crop consultant, I use IPM practices, and will use pesticides if biological and cultural controls are not sufficient. My plan is to plant next years squash in containers with new soil so I don't have to deal with overwintering grubs. I do wonder if the adults will fly around enough to find the new plants. I will plant later in the season to hopefully avoid the hatch. I will use spinosad, which will also get the squash bug larva, since I can't seem to find them all to pick off. Even choosing squash varieties selected for resistance to powdery mildew require fungicide because of the cool nights in my high altitude area. Gosh, I was so excited to finally live in a region with a long growing season, but the pests and disease pressure here is daunting compared to where I worked in Colorado.

CrazyQuilter 7 Oct 8
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I use BT on the vines and when they are in the vine I cut it open and douse it with BT . It seems that they usually infect close to the base so I concentrate on that area , Its a battle every year for me

Besalbub Level 8 Oct 8, 2019
1

I know this may sound a bit weird, but would perhaps baking the soil you want to use in planters during the winter months , prepare it for spring planting ?

Cast1es Level 9 Oct 8, 2019
1

I have found that if I start my squash very early indoors, then transplant, I am able to harvest quite a bit before the borers destroy the plants. then when I find the grubs, I will split open the vine and remove it. It is labor intensive, but I seem to be slowly gaining ground.

glennlab Level 10 Oct 8, 2019

@CrazyQuilter I have a similar problem, think in terms of winter gardening for things that are spring crops elsewhere. My tomatoes and eggplants are setting fruit right now that will most likely be harvested before first frost. Beans are a early spring crop, peas are a winter crop, forget all that you knew about seasons and instead look at growing times before heat and drought wipe out the plants.

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