I've tried several tricks to control the SVB but even though they seem to prefer the main trunk/stem coming out of the ground they'll happily move down the vine for a back door entrance.

If you put it in the ground, with the roots in the stocking, the roots will be unable to spread and the plant will not grow well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhYmZ_MoZO0&t=164s

well y'all tell Paul P that and the Victory Gardens guy. He said something about wrapping. the stem up with the pantyhos or stocking,,,,,,,It was on yesterdays episode I peeve the lat caller question

does anyone out there listen to "the Magic Garden" ? I don't know if he is on reg radio or just GCN via the web... I just wish I could see pic of what he means.. thanks y'all

I'm not sure if my post yesterday showed up for everyone else, it appears for me... It's a video of the Victory Garden guy using pantyhose and foil on squash plants.

You wrap the pantyhose around the vine like a bandage or sports tape. I haven't done this trick for SVB, but I have sometimes had to bandage a split or broken vine. I use underwrap sports tape for plant bandages- that's the foam mesh stuff, not the adhesive tape. Works beautifully on plants.

Beesneeds - I have some Equine flex leg tape that would work like your sports tape. I think it is intended for wrapping an injured horse's leg. It sticks to itself but not anything else. I bought it at tractor supply a few years ago to wrap a chicken's foot after doing surgery for Bumblefoot. Thanks for the great idea!!

If you have the space I'd just plant a 2nd batch of squash once the first batch blooms. By the time the 2nd batch is attacked I'm pretty tired of eating squash, it becomes too mush of a goo thing by late summer.

LoneJack- yep, the Equine flex leg tape is pretty much the same stuff that is the sports tape. It looks a bit more heavy duty than sports tape does. Since sports tape is meant to be used with adhesive sports tape, I don't rely on the self stick aspect to hold up in the weather- I use another piece of the tape as a gentle tie to make sure the loose end is secure.

I've bandaged tomatoes with this stuff too, worked great.

Hard to believe that this would work better than aluminum foil. Aluminum foil conforms naturally to the stem. It stays "wrapped" all by itself, without laboriously threading it around the vine. (Which requires lifting and manipulating of the vine). Would be interesting to compare cost. I suspect aluminum foil would be cheaper than sports tape. I guess if you want a bandage that offers some support, this stuff might be good, but vines laying on the ground don't need any support.

beesneeds, I watched the video yesterday. I'm not sure why the pantyhose is put on first and then the foil is added. Why not just the foil?

And doesn't it seem like one would want to put the foil on when the plants were much smaller? By time they are the size shown it would be too late around here.

<By time they are the size shown it would be too late around here.>

I have to agree with that and say IF anyone does try it do let us know how it worked out and if it was worth the trouble. SVB is difficult to stop unless you just wait until their cycle if over.

IMO planting more squash plants would be easier.

I have no idea why the Victory Gardens guy did it on big plants- maybe to make it easy on a big scale to film the technique? Like I said in my first post, I've never tried using this method for SVB... Knock on wood I haven't had SVB problems- my bane has been squash bugs. But I to understand the wrapping technique due to using sports tape to bandage broken and split damage on vines.

I would imagine the pantyhose make for a stretchy and permeable bandage that can stand up to weather- and probably a good use for recycling the ones that get runs in them and otherwise would be thrown away. I don't happen to have pantyhose much to recycle, but I do happen to have sports tape around. Mesh sports tape works the same way. Pantyhose probably provides a gentle more breathable layer between the "skin" of the plant and the overbandage. With mesh sports tape on humans, this protects the skin from the adhesive overtape used. I would imagine the pantyhose provides the same sort of protection from the foil- though with foil it isn't adhesive irritation, more likely accidental sharp edges of the foil. And also, the pantyhose would provide a bit of a squish layer between the plant and foil to help the foil conform to the plant- kind of like using a foam tape vs flat tape for sealing window plastic, the squish tape helps fill the nooks between the two layers.

Purportedly, SVB's like to attack a smoother and more vulnerable surface- the pantyhose with it's mesh-ness wouldn't be as favored- but foil has that nice smooth open surface they like to lay eggs on- the SVB gets confused and lays the eggs on the foil instead on the plant.

I'll say it again. Aluminum foil is cheaper and more compliant than sports tape or even pantyhose. With 12-foot vines you'd better have an abundant supply of panty hose. So what if they lay eggs on foil? The larvae can't penetrate it when they hatch. Geez, it's like things are believable just because they come from old radio shows. I could just erect a greenhouse over my squash. That'll keep them SVBuggers out. But aluminum foil is a lot more cost effective.

Well dan, I think that might be the whole point of the foil- adults lay the eggs on it, the larvae can't penetrate and grow up to be adults, that is if you allow the eggs to hatch into larvae instead of removing the egg laid foil and destroying it and replacing it with fresh foil... it can potentially disrupt the SVB life cycle to a great extent.

But ya know... I was just trying to be nice by sharing the video the OP requested and explain from my knowledge how the technique itself works, and not the efficacy of it. Since I don't have SVB and you clearly have the superior handle and knowledge on this particular subject, I will apologize for butting into the topic in the first place and bow out of the topic entirely.