Posted: 5/11/2009 5:34:25 PM EDT
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Ok, this is my first year planting veggies, so I really don't know what I am doing as far as bugs go. I have jalepenos, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and cucumbers all planted via buckets. Everything is doing great other than the squash. They have gotten what looks like specs of mold on the leaves, and I have seen some odd large ant looking bugs with red bodies and black legs. I imagine these are "squash bugs". Does anybody have a home remedy to get rid of these issues???
Thanks guys, Neal |
| squash bugs around here are a grey color and you only see them on cloudy days, when the sun goes down or in the shade of the plant. They are tough to get rid of and I have not found anything that will really kill them. I've sprayed strong mixed Sevin on them in years past and found them with a white film breeding the next day. I've planted marigolds on the same hill and had them crawling on the marigolds. This season I'm going to try radishes around the plant, geraniums, nastriums and marigolds and spray the plants weekly with a garlic/hot pepper mix which does deter them slightly. |
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I think I had the same bugs in my squash. I posted pics in this thread. http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=19&t=623665
I was told that they were assassin bugs and don't do much harm. My squash was looking pretty rough but I have watered a lot more over the last few days and they are looking better now. |
| Any physical damage to the leaves or immature squash on the affected plants? If you want to kill the bugs and don't mind using pesticides, try permethrin dust. If the white spots grow and start to cover large areas of the leaves, try a sulfur spray, as it sounds like powdery mildew. |
Not the moldy spots, but the yellowish and weak-looking leaves sound like vine borers. Can you take pics of the issues and post them here? It's a lot easier to diagnose with pics.
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Check the label for sevin dust and have at it - or take a sample to your local garden center or nursery to be sure. Your local extension agent for the county you live in has some answers also.
I'll use some of the organics remedies this year, except for outright attacks on the plants. Then the real chemicals comeout to play.... 
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| Take a look on the vine and stems of your plants for these: Vine Borer Eggs . If you have those you have vine borers. The best way to get rid of the eggs is to wrap ducktape around your fingers, sticky side out, and use that to remove them. Also look for holes with frass around them. It will look like wet sawdust around the hole. If you have frass then you will have to cut open the vine to look for the worm. It looks like a bee moth worm. That is the only way to get rid of the worms. If you see eggs you should spray the plants with something that has bifenthrin in it. |