Buttercup Squash Under Attach... Again

This is the third year that I have tried to grow buttercup squash.  Every year I have lost all of my plants to squash vine borers.  Squash borers are the larva of a moth that lays its eggs at the base of squash plants.  After the eggs hatch, the larva borrow into the stem of the plant and commence to eating from the inside out.  Given enough time, they will kill the plants.  My understanding is that the only treatment is prevention, so this year I covered the plants with a tunnel frame and bird netting in the hopes that it might also keep out the parent moths.  Unfortunately, I lifted off the tunnel to weed and didn't get it back on.

I noticed the tell-tail signs of the squash vine borers last week and one nice sized squash on my plants.  I had hoped that I'd get enough time before the borers killed the plants for that one squash to completely ripen, but I don't think I'm going to.  I noticed yesterday that the leaves of all of the squash are wilting and I'd say by the end of the week that the plants will be completely dead. :(

I plan to try squash one more year and use a light weight row cover to see if I can keep out the insects, but if I fail again next year I will be done planting squash... :(

For more information on squash vine borers, check out this National Gardening Association post and this post from the NDSU extension .

I hope you are getting happier news from your garden this week.

Happy Gardening! :)