I don't know that a bird house will do what you want. I am no expert, but don't most birds use the houses only in mating season?

Anyway, one thing I did a couple years ago was spread cracked corn in the garden area. The birds swooped in. I spread enough that it took them weeks to eat it all. While I am sure they mainly ate the corn, the number of bugs in the garden seemed to drop dramatically as well.

The only downside is that cracked corn is sometimes still viable and can germinate. I didn't have an issue with this as it seemed like a little extra weeding was worth having the birds on patrol. Most of the corn does not germinate, it's just one here and one there.

Plant nasturtiums with the squash. Plant sunflowers too, they attract birds and some might notice your insects too....I use nasturtiums and sunflowers as sacrificial crops (sunflowers have other uses too, nasturtium flowers look and taste good in salads...)

While most birds will eat some insects, grain eating birds do less than birds that disdain grain for insects. Drawback is that many of these will eat fruit. Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Robin, Brown Thresher, Catbird are the more desirable for me. Sparrows, Grackles, crows ,Cowbirds, sparrows do eat insects but sometimes are a nuisance especially when you want to save seed. House Finches really love brassica seed.

Farmerdilla's point is critical. Birds are usually either seed eaters or insect eaters, not both. If you like the seed eaters, such as goldfinches, you can attract them with seedy plants such as sunflowers. If you want insect eaters, such as robins, plants won't help much, except that they will eat small fruits and berries.

I'm not a bird expert, but that much information will help you find additional information, I hope. Let us know if you do find more. I would be very interested.

Jim

Thanks for the tips, I think I remember reading about nasturtium, you say sacrificial? Meaning the squash bugs will go after it intstead? I think I read radishes are good for that too, I'll be planting some.

I wish I had earthworms. I have worm bins, but when I turned over my garden by shovel I didn't find any. It's new development on top of houses that were torn down. I removed bricks, garbage, rocks.

I still don't know if I'll be here next year, but it's looking likely so I started 2 compost piles. I plan on doing raised beds next year so it will be better than last.

Those darn cucumber beetles got my cukes, zukes, watermelon, pumpkins every thing cucurbit. I got about 6 cukes before they took over.

Sparrows and doves ate the squash borers in my garden this year and did a good job on the squash bugs, too. The birds nested later than usual. They are seed eating birds, however, they feed insects to their young. When the fledglings left their nests, and the parents quit hunting in my garden, the squash bugs became a problem but the borers were already history.

I've seen sparrows go for seed on large groups of wild sunflowers in fall, plus go after insects and caterpillars whilst they were there. I was surprised to see them eating insects at that time of year.

I've been meaning to put a plant saucer of birdfood in the garden, to see if that might encourage the birds to eat the squash bugs. But I never got around to it.

Lorna

I don't know how exactly, but you should try to attract cardinals. Every morning in the summer they scavenge my tomato plants for bugs, and they especially like hornworms. It's great!

Jimster and Farmerdilla are correct about seed-eating vs. insect eating birds. If you get insect eaters, they would have to arrive in great flocks to impact the bug population. By all means, try to attract birds to your garden because they are beneficial, and interesting to watch, but for insect control you may want to consider organic solutions like insecticidal soap, hot pepper/garlic spray, and companion planting (plants repel bugs and help neighboring plants). The Organic gardening forum on this site has a wealth of information.
Sorry that the squash bugs were a problem. We all go through "infestations" so don't get discouraged. And good for you for starting a compost pile!

Subsistence farmers back where I grew up sometimes employed guineafowl.

As I recall they were somewhat temperamental. Not just everyone was successful.

rj, yes by sacrificial I mean the bugs go to them but let me clarify, because I have not observed nasturtiums to act as sacrificial plants for squash bugs (yet). Maybe someone here has experience with this and i would love to hear about it. However, I have seen them attract the aphids that go for brassicas. Also, I have observed that they seem to encourage one another's growth (nasturtiums and any curcubit family plant). So I will be planting cukes/melons/squash always with a few nasturtiums, even if it does not work sacrificially because a healthy happy vigorous plant will resist pests better. I also have them under some of my fruit trees.

My problem was not squash bugs eating my cukes, it was harlequins. Harlequins go for the brassicas. They killed my collard and nice lacinato kale so I took them out. Then they jumped all over my garden, destroyed one tomato (only one thankfully), ate one of the cukes (baby cukes and leaves), tasted the peppers almost ate some jalapenos right from the plant (they do not seem to like nightshade leaves) and finally found my sunflowers (which i planted too late). Mercifully they have left the rest of my peppers, melons, cukes and tomatoes in the area and they are chomping on the sunflower leaves so they now look like lace. I need to get there and destroy them but is is hard (any ideas welcome).

In the other garden (zone 10) the sunflower were planted at the same time so the harlequins were always controlled, they go up to the sunflowers and not too many bother the kales.

So to summarize, I have seen sunflowers effectively acting as a sacrificial crop for cukes, but for another bug, which I doubt you have because it is a warm weather pest.

One solutions that could work for you and for us is to maybe 'rent' a few chickens after the harvest is done, maybe they could eat the larvae and remaining bugs? I do not know if they eat harlequins though, (or squash bugs for that matter).

Birds have been my greatest helpers in the garden. In the spring, I use wheat straw for mulch, and the sparrows come to pick up all the stray wheat seed. By then, the garden is like their hang out and they stay for the bugs. I see them all day long hopping in and out of the boxes in my raised beds, hunting, hunting, hunting for insects. Robins are at home because they are finding worms. Here's a real kick: They got used to me being in the garden and accept my presence. If I find a caterpillar or slug or bug big enough to interest them, I say, "Here's one guys," and I toss it over on the lawn. Several will fly over or hop over to where I threw their goody. By mid-spring, they seem to be attracted to the sound of the back storm door. Wherever they are in the treetops, they begin to gather on the lawn. It's symbiosis.

Oh, and don't forget water. I have two bird baths in my yard and nothing will attract them faster than drinking and bathing. 3:30 p.m., every single day, they're out there taking the communal bath. Why all at once, I'll never know, especially when you can have your own private bath at 3 p.m.

Bird bath, great idea. I don't want standing water for mosquitos, but as long as birds are in it they won't have a chance.

We have two large birdbaths and two smaller ones. It is a little work since they need cleaning and water changed a couple of times each week, but worth every bit of the effort because they really attract birds. Our bird friends make a big difference in pest control in our gardens. I love hearing their songs and they are a joy to watch.

If they live in your area, try attracting Carolina Wrens. These little birds consider our containers, window boxes and hanging baskets to be their private gardens and keep them inspected and insect free. It amazes me. Now if I could just convince them that ants are a good source of protein...

There is a pair of Western Kingbirds that arrive in May or June in our area...same tree in my neighbor's yard.

After I got our yard cleared of all the junk and weeds about 4 years ago, I began to notice them sitting on the wires watching for bugs to feed the babies.

This year they were a big help with the squash bugs...the parents were kept busy feeding as many as 4 begging babies.

But they left earlier than usual (are we in for an early Winter? it's much cooler than normal and has been for the last month).

When they left the squash bug population exploded and wiped out the squash and most of the cucumbers and some of my small melons. I resorted to squishing them with my fingers as I watered and pulling all the squash plants. I planted some Fall squash and I'm hoping they do not return!

Peggy

You know, Peggy, I've been wondering the same thing. The flickers which ordinarily come to my yard in October, have been here for two weeks now. Very unusual. Yes, it's as if they are announcing an early winter.

I spotted a female Baltimore Oriole at one of my birdbaths last week. This is only the second one I have ever seen, first was in 2003 when we moved back to our hometown to this house...no birdbath then and horrible yard covered in weeds chest high weeds.

The hummingbirds are still here and working the butterfly/hummer garden.

As of the first week of September I have a new butterfly in my garden; 2 Zebra Heliconians have been working my flowers and blooms on melons and cucumbers. One has very ragged wings; surprising it can fly. The other's wings are in good shape...makes me wonder if it is a recent hatch. They have both been in my passion vines and I'm concerned they are laying eggs at this time of year and really wonder if there is enough time for them to hatch and fly south.

Peggy

I live near Dallas Texas and have gardened for many years. It has been my experience that no birds eat squash bugs. We have hordes of house sparrows, A pair of nesting Eastern Bluebirds, robins, Purple Martins, House finches and others. Squash bugs proliferate in their presence. Many of the birds go into my garden to eat other insects but not squash bugs. They may appear to b

I implemented guinea fowl this summer. Bugs seemed less in fall (no aphids like year before when they destroyed my kale). Flock self expanded, from two to seven - we will see how next year is with bugs. Of course you need the right space, etc. to keep the fowl.

Guinea fowl would be a great idea. My father used to use them as insect eaters and as watch dogs. They are very noisy so I can't have them where I live unfortunately. I hope you let us know how they worked out for you.

Probably your best solution is a combination of the best recommendations. If I were you (and I have a similar problems) I would do the following: 1) plant nastritiums and marigolds to keep bugs away (eat the nastritium flowers and leaves in salads); 2) get a bird bath to attract birds; 3) build a bird house or to to attract Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Robin, Brown Thresher, or Catbirds. Here is one site that will help you with your decision on the types of birdhouses http://www.backyardbird.com/Bluebird-Houses_c_26.html. Germinate your squash inside and transplant them outside after June 1 when squash bugs will have less of a shot at them. I follow all of these suggestions, plus I examine my squash vines and mash any bugs I discover.

Sorry, I failed to mention another method that helps with various bugs. Place boards flat on ther ground in you garden and turn them over and squash the bugs hiding underneath. Also, for a soil treatment, mix water, onion and garlic in a large bowl and allow the mixture to sit for a few hours until the scent becomes strong. Pour this solution at the base of infested squash plants. For a homemade squash bug spray, pour a small amount of liquid Castile soap into a spray bottle and fill the bottle with water. Spray the affected plants in the morning, directing the spray at the base of the plant and the undersides of the leaves.