Squash Bugs - Their Life Cycle and How To Control Them Naturally
The Squash Bug, Anasa tristis, is found throughout the United States.
It feeds mainly on squash and pumpkins but can also attack other cucurbits, such as cucumbers.
Squash bugs overwinter under plant debris, around buildings or under rocks.
When the adult female emerges in the spring, she flies to growing squash plants to feed and mate.
Females lay their eggs in clusters on the undersides of the leaves or on stems.
You will probably start noticing squash bugs on your plants in early June.
At first you may only see a couple of bugs, but what you don't see is that they have laid hundreds of eggs.
Egg production will last through mid-summer.
It takes about 10 days for the eggs to hatch.
The nymph stage is next and it lasts four to six weeks.
Both nymphs and adults have piercing-sucking mouth parts that they use to suck the sap out of the leaves.
Squash bug damage consists of yellowish spots on the leaves which eventually turn brown.
The plants usually end up wilting and dying from a heavy infestation.
Check on the undersides of all the leaves and get rid of the eggs.
You can crush the eggs by holding something stiff on the top side of the leaf and crushing the eggs against it from the underside of the leaf.
If you only have a few plants this method will work and you won't need to use any sprays to kill them.
However if squashing bugs and eggs doesn't grab you, or you have more than a couple of plants and more fun things you would rather be doing, you can apply an insecticide to kill them.
I have found Sevin Garden Dust to be quite effective, but you need to remember that it not only kills the squash bugs but beneficial insects also.
Safer brand Insecticidal Soap is a much better natural alternative.
It's a contact killer made from a blend of natural plant sources and pyrethrin oils that come from the chrysanthemum flower.
You can use it up until the day of harvest, so it's pretty safe.
You will need to apply it every 7-10 days when insects are present or as needed to prevent damage.
It is important to control them when the plants are young and flowering, but later in the season it is not as necessary as the plants are coming to the end of their life cycle anyway.
Adults are difficult to kill, so try to curb the population when they are nymphs.
You can trap squash bugs by laying out pieces of newspaper.
They will congregate under the paper at night, and can be destroyed in the morning.
Healthy, vigorous, well fed plants will help limit squash bug damage.
Keep an eye out for squash bugs and as soon as one or two show up, get rid of them quickly before they spread.
Your squash plants will thank you for it!
It feeds mainly on squash and pumpkins but can also attack other cucurbits, such as cucumbers.
Squash bugs overwinter under plant debris, around buildings or under rocks.
When the adult female emerges in the spring, she flies to growing squash plants to feed and mate.
Females lay their eggs in clusters on the undersides of the leaves or on stems.
You will probably start noticing squash bugs on your plants in early June.
At first you may only see a couple of bugs, but what you don't see is that they have laid hundreds of eggs.
Egg production will last through mid-summer.
It takes about 10 days for the eggs to hatch.
The nymph stage is next and it lasts four to six weeks.
Both nymphs and adults have piercing-sucking mouth parts that they use to suck the sap out of the leaves.
Squash bug damage consists of yellowish spots on the leaves which eventually turn brown.
The plants usually end up wilting and dying from a heavy infestation.
Check on the undersides of all the leaves and get rid of the eggs.
You can crush the eggs by holding something stiff on the top side of the leaf and crushing the eggs against it from the underside of the leaf.
If you only have a few plants this method will work and you won't need to use any sprays to kill them.
However if squashing bugs and eggs doesn't grab you, or you have more than a couple of plants and more fun things you would rather be doing, you can apply an insecticide to kill them.
I have found Sevin Garden Dust to be quite effective, but you need to remember that it not only kills the squash bugs but beneficial insects also.
Safer brand Insecticidal Soap is a much better natural alternative.
It's a contact killer made from a blend of natural plant sources and pyrethrin oils that come from the chrysanthemum flower.
You can use it up until the day of harvest, so it's pretty safe.
You will need to apply it every 7-10 days when insects are present or as needed to prevent damage.
It is important to control them when the plants are young and flowering, but later in the season it is not as necessary as the plants are coming to the end of their life cycle anyway.
Adults are difficult to kill, so try to curb the population when they are nymphs.
You can trap squash bugs by laying out pieces of newspaper.
They will congregate under the paper at night, and can be destroyed in the morning.
Healthy, vigorous, well fed plants will help limit squash bug damage.
Keep an eye out for squash bugs and as soon as one or two show up, get rid of them quickly before they spread.
Your squash plants will thank you for it!
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