Try making traps for the cucumber beetles. Another person on this site posted a recipe of red dye #28 and clove oil. You mix the two together and place it in metal or glass containers around your garden (pure clove oil will melt plastic). The females are attracted to the clove oil but upon ingesting it the red dye somehow kills them within a few mins. I was skeptical as my garden was seriously infested but after only one day of setting a few traps I could only find a few beetles. The red dye is kinda hard to find and it has to be #28. I was able to find mine online. I ordered those dental disclosing tablets which contain red dye #28. Mix a few of those with a few tablespoons of clove oil and you should see results. Also, a trick with the squash vine borer I read was to slit the vine where the damage is and remove the bug. Then cover the damaged part of the vine with dirt. While I still lost a few plants with this method it did save the vast majority that were infested. And you have the satisfaction of killing the stupid things! I have not yet found a good solution with the squash bugs. I'm going to try DE and see if that works. I tried hand picking but with 200-250 squash, pumpkin, and gourd plants I just can't keep up. Sorry to be long-winded but I'm also a newbie and am currently having these exact same problems in my garden:)

Just so you know, a lot of Hoyas can develop black spots when kept in very strong light, and that is nothing to be worried about. In this case, the spots are definitely problematic, because it is widespread and there is yellowing around them. I agree with mairzy that it looks fungal, or that at least this is a good starting diagnosis. There are a lot of different ways you can treat such an infection. I'm not sure how widespread your situation is, but if possible it's always best to start with the gentlest treatment and work your way up, if needed. You can begin with a natural remedy and make a paste out of cinnamon and water and smear it over both sides of the spots. The spots should 'dry up' and be more solidly black, with no more spread, if this works. A harsher but stronger method is using chemicals, such as spraying the affected plants with a Physan 20 mixture (2t/g) or an alternate fungicide. Another method frequently mentioned is to use athlete's foot spray. Some people just mist it in the air over the tops of their orchids and let it settle on the leaves. I've sprayed it directly on a Hoya leaf before and it didn't seem to cause any harm. Good luck :\

If your Aphid population appears to you to be too large and is really causing plant damage they are easily controlled by sharp sprays of water that will knock the wee buggers off the plant. Some people that know little about Aphids will try to tell you that they will climb back, but those Aphids are so dumb they know not where they came from and before it does dawn on them they starve to death. Since Aphids are capable of producing live young before you even see one on your plants you can have 5 or more generations at various stages of developement just waiting to take over so you will then see the next generation, not those you knocked off, and they will need to be knocked off the plant.

Im sorry you didnt get a quicker response. Im a beginner to and I have heard that too much alcohol and water spraying can damage the leaves of a plant. This may or may not have cause some of your troubles. There are plenty of people who use this technique successfully and others like me that have killed plants with these soap/water/alcohol/etc. solutions. Heres a site that may help... http://www.allexperts.com/browse.cgi?catLvl=3&catID=721 Will Creed is really good, I would ask him. Pictures would help diagnose the problem as well.