Hey, guys.
My name is Nick Volesky with Utah State University
Extension's Integrated Pest Management program,
and today we're going to talk about squash bugs.
So unlike what most people think, they're not beetles,
but rather they're true bugs in the Hemiptera family.
Identifying the squash bug is super important,
as a lot of people confuse them with other species
in the insect order Hemiptera Adults
are just about 1 inch long.
Their color is gray brownish black.
And they have these distinct brown stripes
along the edges of their abdomen.
They're able to fly short distances,
but their wings fold over their flat back.
The nymphs will complete their development over
to four to six weeks.
The first instars have red head and tandem legs,
with whitish to greenish gray bodies.
Second to third instars have black appendages
and greenish gray bodies.
Fourth and fifth instars, the wing pads
are small but undeveloped, but resemble more of the adult.
Do not confuse squash bugs for other lookalike insects
in Utah, such as various brown stink bugs, kissing bugs,
or the western conifer seed bug.
Adults and nymphs feed on leaves, vines, and fruits
with their piercing-sucking mouth parts.
Squash bugs suck sap from plants and can disrupt the flow
of water and nutrients.
This can cause the cucurbit plants to wilt.
So squash bug eggs are laid in clusters, usually
on the underside of the leaves, but sometimes you
can find them on the stems or the upper sides of the leaves.
But basically there are these brown, orange, bronze colored
little tiny balls that you'll see.
You can minimize populations of overwintering adults
through sanitation.
After harvest, till or remove the cucurbit crop
debris, including fresh vines and fruit.
Remove wooden piles, plastic mulch,
or other synthetic ground covers,
and ground debris near fields where the insects may
seek protection for the winter.
Consider planting squash varieties
that are more tolerant to squash bug feedings.
Examples of highly susceptible crops
include yellow squash, Hubbard squash, and pumpkin.
Rotate to non-cucurbit crops in alternating years
to reduce the number of immigrating adult squash bugs.
Crop rotation will be most effective in larger fields.
Peak egg laying by adult squash bugs
typically occurs in May in northern and in late April
to early May in southern Utah.
Seed or transplant before or after this time
to reduce the potential injury.
During the growing season, trap adults and nymphs
seeking protection by using wooden, boards shingles,
and heavy cardboard place on the ground next to the host crop.
Squash bugs will tend to aggregate
under the traps at night.
In the early morning you can turn the boards over
and destroy the bugs.
Trap crops are cucurbit cultivars
that are more attractive to adult squash bugs.
Several weeks before planting the main cucurbit crop,
plant the trap crop along the field borders,
or inner spread as clumps throughout the field.
Target squash bugs by applying a pesticide,
or destroying the trap crop before the eggs begin to hatch,
to reduce damage to the later maturing main crop.
Studies have shown Blue Hubbard squash is the most common trap
crop used.
This is an example of a parasitized squash bug.
The most common natural enemy of squash bugs are parasitoids.
These include a tachinid fly, Trichopoda pennipes,
whose larvae feed on older nymphs and adults.
There are some pesticide options for home gardeners
that are labeled for squash bug control.
Organic options include those with active ingredients
pyrethrin or pyrethrin-sulfur mix.
Synthetic options include zeta-cypermethrin
or permethrin.
To be effective, insecticide sprays
must penetrate the plant canopy and thoroughly cover
the top and undersides of leaves, fruits, and vines.
Apply insecticides in the early morning or late evening,
when sprays will dry more slowly and result in better
coverage of the vegetation.
In the morning hours, leaf positions may be more upright
and allow for better coverage of leaf undersides.
Do not spray during the day when plants are blossoming,
to avoid harming pollinators.
So one method is to pour water near the base of the plant,
so that'll scatter the squash bugs to start climbing up
the plant.
One of the most obvious and easiest ways
to squash bug control is just simply mechanically
destroying them.
So I like to use a bucket of soapy water.
And then I'll mix it.
And then when I see them on my plant, I simply just grab them,
and then I'll throw them in the water,
and that'll kill them off.
So when you're looking at your plants,
you want to look underneath the leaves for those egg masses
that we talked about.
When you see them, you can simply just remove them,
or you can crush them with your fingers,
and that'll kill the eggs.
So another method is to take a roll of tape,
wrap it around your fingers, and then
when you find the eggs, just simply place it on, and then
pull the eggs off, just like that.
Another option is to use Vaseline or petroleum jelly,
and you can just simply rub that onto the eggs and coat them,
and that'll prevent them from hatching.
If you guys have any more questions about squash bug
management, you can feel free to reach out to our Integrated
Pest Management program, or stop by your local USDA extension
county office and pick up our squash bug integrated pest
management card.
This covers all the information I talked about.
And you can also visit our squash bug research page
at extension.usu.edu/pests.