Buggin' Out in the Garden

Whenever I said how bug free my yard and garden had been this year, I guess I jinxed myself.  Oops.

For whatever reasons, it's definitely started to get buggy around here.  Mosquitoes abound in the back yard and I've had some difficulty with holes in my squash.  It's likely that cucumber beetles, pickleworms, squash bugs or squash beetles, all of which I've seen at one time or another in my garden.  Eeek!

So, let's talk about these pests and how to deal with them.

Mosquitoes

These are probably the most annoying pest, in a traditional sense.  They seem to swarm in my damp (thanks, Rain) and jungle like garden.  Although we make sure to empty all buckets and remove any standing water I know that my neighbors do not.  Combine that with living in the swampy coastal plains and you get lots of mosquitoes.

Aside from douse myself with repellent there are some plants that seem to naturally repel them.  The idea is that these plants produce a strong smell, enough to cover the strong smell that we humans create, and thereby mask our presence. 

This idea of using herbs to ward off pests is definitely something that I try to do and plan on doing more.

Next Steps

So, some herbs that I plan on adding to my garden layout next year include:

-Lavender*

-Rosemary*

-Basil*

-Lemon Balm

I already grow these (*) in pots in the front yard but I can put them in the back as well to attract bees and such.  You can find a longer list of plants here.

Other things I can do is keep all buckets empty, weed the garden regularly and keep bushes small.  They need places to nest after they are grown and they love bushes.

Now, on to our next topic:

Squash Pests

It would seem like a whole hoard of squash related bugs are trying to take hold in my garden.  Let's talk about them and discuss the next steps.

Cucumber Beetles

Small with long stripes down their backs these pests love to eat the leaves of plants and riddle the fruit with holes.  They typically show up around May and June.  The greatest concern with these is they can spread illness and cause wilt in addition to thoroughly damaging your plants.  Boo.

Infested plants should generally be removed and I would add that it would be a good idea to really till everything up to prevent these bugs from over wintering.

Trap plants can also be planted - the bugs will attack them and then you can treat the problem before it spreads to more desired plants.  Learn More from the University of Minnesota Extension.

Pickleworms

These I definitely suspect I have although I've never seen them - only the damage.   Essentially larvae from moths, these worms dig holes in the fruit of a squash, particularly the softer varieties.  They can affect melons as well.

Treatment seems to include pesticides, trap plants, and removal of infected plants.  There are varieties of squash and melons that are resistant, so it might be worth it to plant those.  Learn more about them from University of North Carolina Extension.  

Squash Bugs 

Looking like the petals on a pinecone, these pests are pesky.  I have seen quiet a few of these lurking around and had no idea what they were.  

  

Their eggs are actually quite pretty although I squished them when I saw them, just a precaution.  

Like for other pests, mulching around the base of the plants, removal of infested fruit and foliage, and pesticide treatment seem to be the common ways to deal with these.  As another overwinterer, I'd suspect that a heavy tilling and crop rotation might help with them as well.  Generally they also suggest keeping the garden weeded.  You can learn more about them from the Colorado State Extension.  

Squash Beetles

Like orange lady bugs, these beetles are sneaky.  They like to feed on foliage.  They also have very distinct little orange eggs and their larvae look like something out of Hot Topic - orange with black spikes.  

Generally, I deal with these by just squishing them.  Spraying also works.  You can find more information from the Kentucky Extension Here.  

Next Steps

So, how am I going to handle these bugs.  Well, short term, I sprinkled a sevin dust type of materials on my squash plants.  I hope this will take care of any squash pests that I have for the meanwhile.  I hate to do this because I love beneficial insects, but it seems like my only option.

I've been removing infested fruit and foliage as I see it and putting it in the trash, not the compost.  I've also tried to keep my garden weeded, which I think has been one of the best things I could do.  I rotate my crops around which is always a good thing.  I've also planted lots of herbs and truthfully, I've seen a marked reduction in the number of pests I have in the garden.

Once the summer garden season passes I'm going to give everything a good tilling and do it once again before I plant for the fall or winter.  Next year, I think I'm going to take a break from growing squash and other related plants.  I haven't had a lot of success and I feel like if I don't give any of the pests which may over winter something to eat in the spring, perhaps the following season I'll do better.

Anyway, that is my garden of late. 

Hope yours is bug free and beautiful!

Take care,

Rebecca