Bug ID? Not a very good photo. Almost looks like a wasp

gnhelton

12 years ago

Sitting on the vine of squah plant. At times it looked like it was trying to sting the vine. Or inject and egg.

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Comments (8)

Kimmsr
12 years ago
Not a wasp. What I can see of it looks like a Squash Vine Borer Adult, and it may well be laying eggs.
gnhelton
Original Author
12 years ago
Well that's just great
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Try browsing through the wasp pictures on BugGuide.net Refreshing your browser will give you new thumbnails. Here is a link that might be useful: Bug Guide.net wasp & bee photos
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Absolutely the adult Squash Vine Borer moth and she is absolutely laying eggs.
gnhelton
Original Author
12 years ago
Confirmed. Kilt my Zuke. Same plant I took the picture on. Was just starting to bear.

Just Sad. Farming is hard..
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
I'm a westerner and our problems are much different (right now hereabouts we're complaining about 40kt winds and single-digit humidity), but we don't have that thing. Anyway, second growing food is hard. Being hungry is harder.

Dan
gnhelton
Original Author
12 years ago
And to close the loop.. They hit me good.

Unfortunately, I am sorry to say, these squash vine borers did not make. There were 3 in there. Killed the vine of course.
gnhelton
Original Author
12 years ago
Oh yeah?? What is a good way to organically stop these guys?
montanadolphin
12 years ago
The only way I know to kill these nasty grubs organically is to slice open the stalk and pull them out and kill as you please...I personally like to squish them or drown them (I examine my squash plants daily for squash bugs and always have a container with soapy water in my hand to drown them in). If the borer grub hasn't done too much damage to the plant, it will survive. I look for signs of them near the bottom of the stalk...looks like sawdust where the grub bored into it. Then I take a knife or razor blade (and sometimes my fingernail) and slice open the stalk vertically, grab the grub, and kill it. I've only had one of my squash plants die from this...and that was because the borer had destroyed the inside stalk at least 2 1/2 inches. If I do not attempt to remove the borer grubs, the plant will die (as you have discovered), so at least by slicing the stalk and killing the grub I give my plants a chance. Good luck, and I feel your pain.

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Bug ID? Not a very good photo. Almost looks like a wasp

Comments (8)

Kimmsr

gnhelton
Original Author

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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Bug ID? Not a very good photo. Almost looks like a wasp

Comments (8)

Kimmsr

gnheltonOriginal Author

Related Discussions

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

gnheltonOriginal Author

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

gnheltonOriginal Author

gnheltonOriginal Author

montanadolphin

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BUSINESS SERVICES

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CONNECT WITH US

gnhelton
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