Today on the show, I am pretty sure someone called in with the question of squash bugs. I only caught the tail end where they were running down the list of items tried to control them.

This week at the shop, I had a customer with the same issue. I called my entomoligist friends in CA and they gave me several tips I want to share.

Firstly, keep in mind, that they are likely only doing cosmetic damage and not going to kill anything. That said, if you can live with the bits of imperfections on your tomatoes or peaches, nothing is needed.

However, if they are invading and you have to control for whatever reason, these are the things I was told;

1-they overwinter in the brush. plant a very early crop of squash - and hand control this first batch that come to feed - this will keep your egg layers to a minimum - which is where the onslaught you are fighting now, have come from. They lay tons of eggs. That is the next step - look for the eggs on the undersides of the leaves. A good farmer looks at his crops daily.

2- spinosad doesn't list squash bugs on their label. It may not be strong enough to work on this insect. The topicals, like orange oil, soaps, etc., are just that - they only work when they get in contact with the insect itself. This is tough when you are trying to control a large quantity of fast moving insects.

3- NEEM was his best suggestion for the adults. This will actually "soak" into the leaves and the skin of the fruit, making it unpleasant to the insect to eat - it will kill as a topical, too.

4- In larval stages there are other biological controls you can use. I don't have my insect catalog here with me, but you should be able to call any organic nursery and they will have access to this info, too.

In my opinon, we can do the best job controlling the pests, by encouraging the natural predators. Birds, including chickens, and in the larval stages, various other insects, can control the pests the best. There are also bacterias and fungi to use - get a hold of an organic nursery close to you that has a good relationship with their insectary. You'd be amazed at what can be controlled, naturally. Flies, fleas, squash bugs, tent caterpillers, etc. as the list goes on and on.

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Marie Tedei
Eden's Organic Garden Center
http://www.safe-gardens.com
214-348-EDEN (3336)
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