How to Get Rid of Squash Bugs
Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) can be a menace in the home garden, sucking the sap out of the leaves of cucurbits, such as squash, pumpkins and cucumbers. The leaves eventually turn brown, causing the plants to wilt and, in severe infestations, they can kill the plants. Getting rid of squash bugs begins in the spring when they are young and do the most damage. They should also be controlled after they reach adulthood and, in doing so, you also helping get rid of them for next year's garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Keep the garden clean. Rake debris and leaves. In the fall, clean up the garden thoroughly so squash bugs do not find your garden a safe haven for the winter.
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Look on the underside of the leaves in the spring. Wear disposable gloves and squish all the eggs before they hatch.
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Shake or knock off squash bugs into a bucket of soapy water. This works well for small squash bug infestations and in small gardens.
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Place wood planks or newspapers between the rows in your garden and around the perimeter. Flip them over in the early morning and stomp on the squash bugs to kill them or brush them off into a bucket of soapy water.
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Spray an insecticide, such as carbaryl or bifenthrin, when squash bugs are small nymphs. Otherwise the insecticide will not work. Use according to manufacturer directions, applying it on the underside of the leaves where most of the nymphs are located. Also apply in the early morning or at night when bees are less active. Bees are important to a successful garden.
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