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Squash bugs! (discuss.tchncs.de)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/gardening

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Hey all, As the title suggests, I got a pest problem. I've tried diatomaceous Earth and spinosad spray, neither of which seem to work. I'm pretty sure they've killed my crop for this year. I'm wondering what you all do. I'm trying to avoid truly nasty pesticides, and I honestly don't have the drive to physically remove them, so for me, those two options are right out. I'm willing to keep trying spinosad, I think it's mostly that it rains a day or two later, and it's gone by the time the next batch of eggs hatch. Any suggestions are appreciated.

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[–] Etterra 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

When I was a kid (1980s Chicagoland) my mother world mail order ladybug and praying mantis eggs and they did a pretty serviceable job at dealing with bugs. Though we did have to hunt down tomato hornworms. We didn't do the diatomaceous earth. Actually I never heard of the stuff until the '00s. We did use ground eggshells to limit slugs.

I do know that with diatomaceous earth you have to make sure to get it all up under the leaves and into the stems, not just dust the leaves a little, and you have to refresh it whenever it rains or is blown away. I think you use a blowy thing, I forget. The YouTuber MI Gardener has a lot of good advice.

Edit: this site has a lot to say on the specific topic of squash bugs, which I've personally not encountered. https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-bugs