I have never seen it claimed anywhere that Neem kills anything on contact. It is effective against many types of insects, including LEAF MINERS!! Here is some accurate information put out by Cornell Cooporative Extension on Neem, how it works and what it is effective against - Neem oil. Another group of neem products is made from the oil fraction of neem extract. The active ingredient is generally listed as "clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil," and is labeled as a fungicide, insecticide, and/or miticide. Insects and mites susceptible to paraffinic (petroleum-derived) horticultural oil are likely to be controlled to some extent by neem oil products. The mode of action is probably similar to other oils, namely membrane or cuticle Every effort has been made to provide correct, complete, and up-to-date pesticide recommendations. Nevertheless, changes in pesticide regulations occur constantly, and human errors are still possible. These recommendations are not a substitute for pesticide labeling. Please read the label before applying any pesticide. The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension is implied. This document is a product of the Landscape Horticulture Program Work Team at Cornell University. Primary contributors include Paul Weston, Department of Entomology and Dan Gilrein, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Suffolk County. Prepared June, 2007 disruption and/or interference with respiration. Note that the activity is distinct from that of azadiractin-based insecticides. Other neem products. In addition to products based on azadirachtin or neem oil, there are also other pesticides derived from neem. One such product, K+ Neem, is an insecticidal soap made from neem oil, listed on the label as potassium salts of fatty acids. Mode of action (membrane disruption) and efficacy against arthropods is probably similar to that of other insecticidal soaps since the product has no measurable quantities of azadirachtin. What does neem control? Although neem has a fairly broad spectrum of activity against insects, some insects are more susceptible than others, and results often vary from pest to pest. Many leaf-feeding larvae are susceptible to azadirachtin-based products; this list includes lepidopterous larvae (caterpillars), leaffeeding beetle larvae, and sawflies. [NOTE: we have not seen significant efficacy against viburnum leaf beetle larvae.] Fluid-feeding insects such as aphids, leafhoppers, and plant bugs are also fairly well controlled by products based on azadirachtin, as are dipterous leaf miners and fungus gnats. Adults of a number of insect groups are also responsive to azadirachtin; Japanese beetles and grasshoppers reportedly avoid neem-treated foliage. Neem-oil products are reportedly effective against aphids, whiteflies, scale crawlers, and spider mites. Neem products are generally not effective against mealybugs, weevils, thrips, or adult scales. Use of neem products against pests not on the label is not advisable because efficacy against these pests has not been determined (or is inadequate), not to mention the fact that such uses are illegal in New York. Here is more info from another reliable website - How Neem Oil Works: According to the EPA, "Azadirachtin and Clarified Hydrophobic Extract of Neem Oil are derived from the natural oil found in seeds of the neem tree.... When the natural neem oil is removed from the seeds and treated with alcohol, virtually all of the azadirachtin and related substances separate from the oil itself. The remaining oil - without the azadirachtin - is called Clarified Hydrophobic Extract of Neem Oil. Azadirachtin acts in the following ways: It deters certain insects, such as locusts, from feeding and it interferes with the normal life cycle of insects, including feeding, molting, mating, and egg laying." Neem Oil As Organic Insecticide: Pests Killed or Repelled: Neem oil kills some pests (after they've eaten leaves sprayed with neem oil), while it repels others with its strong smell. Neem oil is used to control many pests, including whitefly, aphids, Japanese beetles, moth larvae, scale and spider mites. Because it kills mites -- which aren't insects but, instead, related to spiders and ticks -- neem oil is listed as a "miticide." Sprays containing clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil are also used as fungicides against rust, black spot, mildew, leaf spot, scab, anthracnose, blight and botrytis. Benefits of Neem Oil for Pest Control: Besides being an organic insecticide, using neem oil allows you to target pests, specifically, as opposed to beneficial insects (e.g., bees and lady bugs). By definition, "pests" are the insects eating your plants, and neem oil, properly applied, kills an insect only if it ingests the sprayed foliage (bees and lady bugs don't eat plant leaves). Ron The Garden Guy http://www.TheGardenGuy.org Informative articles, ongoing garden journal and interactive message boards.

I think hand picking or vacuuming adults, planting beneficial-insect-attracting flowers, and using row covers on the grow beds are your best options for control. The following methods of control are quoted directly from "The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control" CONTROL METHODS: Squash Bugs - Maintain vigorous plant growth; handpick all stages of squash bugs from undersides of leaves; support vines off the ground on trellises; attract native parasitic flies with pollen and nectar plants; cover plants with a floating row cover (you'll need to hand-pollinate flowers. Stink Bugs - Control weeds in susceptible crops; remove or mow weedy areas adjacent to garden beds; attract native parasitic wasps and flies by planting small-flowered plants. As a last resort, dust with pyrethrin.

For the last few days we have seen squash bugs on our bush zucchini. I have been trying (not very successfully) to remove the eggs, and the bugs were sent into a soapy water bath. The bush zucchini is in a container on the deck, all by itself. But in the main garden (40-ish feet away) we have a whole row of various squash and cucumbers. My question is this: should I leave the squash bugs alone on the bush zucchini and use it as a trap crop? I don't mind sacrificing that one plant to save the whole row. We have not seen any squash bugs in the row at all. Or should I put row cover over the bush zuc and just trap the bugs in there? There was a baby praying mantis eating the little bugs yesterday but there are way too many for it to eat them all. Also, if the bugs stay in the potting soil, does that mean that I should not reuse the soil the bush zuc is in next year? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Tricia, I asked a friend and college faculty member for suggestions, and here is what she said: Here is a list from University of Maryland that would be a good start for her: http://anmp.umd.edu/files/Soil_Lab_Comparison_4-13-12.pdf The list is useful primarily for contacts--the descriptions were developed for the consultants working with UMD nutrient management plans. A+L http://www.al-labs-eastern.com/Default.aspx can analyze samples for at least some environmental contaminants--it may depend on what she's looking for. I don't know if UDel can do so in a speedy manner. Does she already have a list of contaminants she wants to check for? If so, she can check A+L's price sheet, or I can contact one of my colleagues in CT to see what they're recommending for post-Sandy analysis. I couldn't find any of that info easily online. Broad spectrum contaminant testing would be very expensive. Maine's state lab can also do that testing: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/public-health-systems/health-and-environmental-testing/inorganic.htm#organics Again, the key is to know what she's looking for. Without so many words, for nutrients my suggestion is A+L, being sure to choose the S1 test for nutrients. Let me know if I need to get more input on contaminant analysis, or if she only needed the lab. Hope this helps, and that your friend is able to a have good garden this year!