I live in West Tennessee (don’t hate me, I’m transplanted here from Michigan). Squash Bugs, and Squash Borers are a MAJOR problem down here. I am committed to Organic Gardening, and pest removal via the least toxic and destructive methods. I went to my local Co-op, and talked to them about organic control of these pests. The organic gardening specialist took special interest in my plight, and recommended the following:

First, hand-pick the eggs off. Dormant Oil will kill the eggs, as well, but it is best to hand-pick as many as possible. Same with the bugs themselves. She recco’d using a Q-Tip loded with Dormant Oil on the eggs FIRST to kill the few that might escape your picking. I suffocates them.

Second, if you have Squash Borer worms, very, very gently slice, with a razor blade or X-Acto knife, from the hole, up to where the worm is. Stab that worm, and get it the h*ll outta there. Immediately cover the wound with dirt, and water prolifically. There is a 50% chance that you’ll save the plant or stalk. LOTS of water.

Third, Full-Bore Organic Warfare. Get to your Co-op/Feed and Seed, and get some BT (Bacillus Thuringus), and CAREFULLY spray around the base of the plant, making sure to not get any on the blossoms. Then follow-up with a full-foliar spray mixture of Neem Oil, Dormant Oil and Pyrethrins. Pyrethrins SOUNDS horrible, but it is no more dangerous as Neem, that is to say, it is just fine, and one can eat the Squash the very next day. It is derived from the Pyrethrum plant, and is harmless to humans. Been around for a long time. Be SURE to spray the undersides of the leaves, and all the way down to the crown/base of the plant, and around the soil. Neem, Pyretrins and Dormant Oil SHOULD take care of the bugs within three weeks of once-per-week sprayings.

My neighbor, Tommy, is unemployed, and I helped him plant a garden to provide food and income. He can’t afford to lose a single plant, and he got hit HARD with Squash Bugs AND Borers. These measures saved all but the first two infested plants within two weeks, with him constantly monkeying-over the plants for bugs and eggs.

OK. Now that we covered the “what to do when the bugs are there” side of things, lets talk about Early Prevention…

When you plant your Cuke/Squash/Melon seeds, put a teaspoon of tobacco ash in with every seed. Compounds in the ash are incorporated in the plant for life-long protection. Companion Plant with Icicle Radishes, which you NEVER pull. Plant those Radishes within two inches of the Cucurbit seed.

One foot away, you’ll plant Nasturtiums. As I SFG as well, I basically plant the Bush Squashes every other foot, with Nasturtiums between.

The ONLY problem that I have had this year is with the infected Squash transplants from a friend. My Cucumbers are six feet tall, producing in miraculous quantities, and no bug near them (tobacco ash), and the Zucchini and Yellow Crooknecks were interplanted with radishes and nasturtiums– again, with tobacco ash, and no problems.

The Tobacco, Nasturtium and Radish info is from The wonderful, and sadly late, Louise Riotta’s “Carrots Love Tomatoes,” the rest is straight from the Co-op organic gardening specialist.

I REALLY hope that one or all of these measures will work for you, and your readers. There is nothing worse than seeing a wonderfully healthy plant just die so suddenly.

To be honest, at my place, I’ve only had to deal with three Borers who were already IN the transplants when I got them from a friend. I didn’t notice. The operations that I did worked fine (haven’t in the past). Boy howdy, that damned worm comes out all pissed-off when you get up on it, just perfect to squish it with full prejudice!

Dormant Oil and Neem Oil seem to do great on their own, and I try to stay away from BT as much as possible, because it seems to have a killing effect on pollinators– particularly Bees. The Pyrethrins just make sense, if you need to go full-out organic chem-warfare. Hit every base.

Depending on how many Squash plants you have, and your level of reliance on those plants for your survival, If you MUST save the plants to pay the rent/mortgage– get out that BT, and spray CAREFULLY, as I’ve indicated. if it’s a hobby garden, the BT should really be a last resort.

Sevin doesn’t really work, nor does “Dursban” as, as soon as the Borer hatches, it immediately digs into the plant, and ththose substances don’t quite hit it.

This has been really long but, I hope that it helps.

Happy gardening!

–mf

P.S. Here’s an idea that might be worth trying:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jul/10/produce-protection/
It might look strange, but if it works . . .