Research conducted by the Lincoln University (LU) IPM program since 2011 indicates that Blue Hubbard squash is very attractive to squash bugs and to squash vine borer, and therefore it is an excellent trap crop plant. Insects congregated on trap crop plants can be more easily killed with insecticides or by other means. These attractive plants pull the pest away from the cash crop. Trap cropping means using very attractive plants growing in the perimeter of the garden or cucurbit field. If no option is given, they will be happy feeding on the type of plants that are available. Given a choice, insects will likely select their preferred food. Just like most animals do, insects have a preference for certain types of foods. Upon the final molt, they emerge as winged, sexually mature adults. Often a mixture of stages congregates together on the same plant. Older nymphs are gray with dark wing buds. They grow and molt through various immature stages (nymphs). In spring (around late May and June in mid-Missouri) they mate and lay small masses of shiny, oval, copper-colored eggs beneath leaves. Squash bug: Adults overwinter in sheltered places. View of squash bug adult, eggs, and nymphs at various stages of development. There is one generation per year.Īdult squash vine borer, base of squash plant showing infestation by the borer (a type of caterpillar), and view of a fully-grown caterpillar. They remain there until the following summer. The larvae feed for four to six weeks, then exit the stems and burrow about one to two inches into the soil to pupate. The larvae feed through the center of the stems, blocking the flow of water to the rest of the plant. At this moment the plant is destined to die. Approximately one week after they are laid, the eggs hatch and the resulting borers, which are a type of caterpillar, drill into stems to feed. Soon after emerging from cocoons in the ground around June (in mid-Missouri), squash vine borers lay eggs singly at the base of susceptible plants. The adult moths are active during the day, so they can be spotted relatively easily. The front wings are a metallic green and the rear wings are transparent with black or brown margins and veins. Squash vine borer: The adult squash borer may be mistaken for a wasp. This article discusses trap cropping as an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy to control squash bugs and squash vine borer with little or no insecticides applied to the cash crop. Many of these insecticides will also be "restricted-use", requiring private pesticide applicator training and licensing. Insecticides can be an effective control option however, harvest interruption due to pre-harvest intervals, and the potential impact on beneficial/pollinator species must be considered. Commercial vegetable farmers and gardeners often find themselves scratching their heads to find effective ways of controlling them. These two insect pests can cause serious economic losses to cucurbit farmers if populations are left uncontrolled. The squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae - a clear wing moth, and the squash bug, Anasa tristis - a true bug, are two significant pests of cucurbit crops. Relevance of squash vine borer and squash bugs as pests of cucurbit crops
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