Easy trick to keep squash bugs out of your garden- My #1 Organic Tool
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มิ.ย. 2020
- I try not use any chemical pesticides on my garden, AT ALL! Today i will show you how a simple office supply tool, will help keep those squash bugs away.
Email me at
TheBigBlueHouseHomestead@gmail.com
You are SO patient answering questions. Especially the same question over and over and over. Don't people read the comments and your replies to them see that you already answered their question 30 times!
Thank you so much!!!! This comment means so much to me. 💜💜💜
@@TheBigBlueHouseHomesteadyou rubbed off all those eggs and fell into the ground. They will hatch later.
Cut up an onion and sprinkle it around your squash bed. This has helped deter the bugs and they aren't laying eggs on the plants anymore.
Thank you for the tip!
Yes. Worked for me with summer and winter squashes. I also added some garlic to the mix.
Great idea!
Cool! Thanks. About how long did you notice this worked?
@@ms.lgraves4147, I did it 3-4 times, about every 2-3 days, after that the problem was gone. I still check every day but nothing for about 3 weeks now.
Just found this video. When you water the squash plants, the bugs will climb to the top then you can easily smash the mature ones. Also, squash bugs don't like garlic so interplanting it with the squash helps to keep them away.
Thanks for the tips! I didn't know that😀
If you squash the bugs, you will attract every neighbouring bug to your property by the smell. Instead collect the bugs in a jar of soapy water to drown them and later dispose of them by digging a deep hole or flushing them down the toilet. Others collect them and freeze them in a zip lock bag. Look under leaves for the brown cluster of eggs. These can be squashed by folding the leaf and pressure applied and then given the soap water or freezing method. It takes longer to kill an egg than the bug. The bugs will drop to the ground or fly when disturbed so place the jar below and have a shop towel above to help catch them.
Where have you been ALL Sumner while I was swarmed with these evil bug??? . Lol
I've heard that they prefer cantaloupe, so if you place some cantaloupe rinds on a dish, the bugs will flock there to be squashed. Anyone else heard of this?
@@mickidawop414
Thanks. I have rinds from the last time I cut one that was going in my compost bin. I guess that I have a better use now.
I interplant squash with catnip and will even mulch around the plants with it. Squash bugs don't like catnip!
I didn't know that! Thank you so much for sharing that tip
Thank you! I will try this
Awesome TYTYTYTY
Have to try this. Thanks
Doesn't that attract all the neighboring cats?
Excellent idea. I remember those. One problem I just learned, do not squash the eggs and let fall to the ground since the eggs can still (be alive) hatch and the babies will survive. Make them drop into a container with soap and or some bleach. Thank you....
Many people say that you can drop the eggs because other insects will eat them. I have dropped a dead tomato hornworm & a live cabbage worm on the ground and they were swarmed by ants in a minute - so maybe that happens. But, I prefer to drop them in water just to be sure.
That was my concern! That they would be alive. I don't let them drop
Great tip!!
@@Herschel1738 Drop them on a fireant mound for proper disposal.
Wrap some duct tape around a couple fingers and roll it across the little eggs. The leaves aren't crushed, the eggs aren't dropped. . . and there's something just so satisfying about listening to them all pop after the job when you squish the tape.
OK, an organic farmer, friend of mine, sprayed his squash and cucumbers, with what looked like Sevindust . I knew it couldn’t be, so I asked him about it. Turns out he took a small amount of diatomaceous earth, mix it in a garden, sprayer and sprayed, and covered his squash and cucumbers. From what I understand the squash bugs, injest the diatomaceous earth, which is rock, and it does them in. I can’t wait to try this!
He didn’t use a thick layer or spray, it just leaves a slight white haze on the leaves.
Some things that have helped me:
● I started pinning up my squash with a tomato cage.
●Any damaged leaf I find I cut off.
● I use apple cider vinegar to spray my plants with (mixed with a bit of epsom salt).
Every area is different when it comes to how bad of an infestation there is. I have limited time because I am a workaholic. Hope this helps!
Undiluted vinegar, in my experience, will destroy the leaves.
I've been using those large white mesh laundry bags from Dollar Tree, and a upright stake support to hold the bag up, the plant can get air and water and it has a drawstring at the bottom that I can undue and check my plants out every other day or so just to be sure I don't have any problems, loving this method so far!
How do you handle pollination? Do you leave the netting up for a while for Bees to do the job or do you hand-pollinate?
I use duct tape. Stick it on and peel off. The eggs stick to the tape. I put the tape in the trash. I'm afraid the eggs will survive if I knock them off.
That's a great tip! Thank you!
That is genius Christy...Thank you for sharing this tip!!
I always use tape on my indoor plants for getting aphids off. Works great. I think tape outside will work best to make sure none fall off and hatch.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! I’m going to use duct tape! The thought of a finger full of squashed bug eggs, even on a silicone finger tip is sooo repugnant and turns my stomach (the hubs says I’m a sissy lol)! I am able to grab adults with tongs though, but it’s hard bcz they are quite evasive. I am going to cover my squashes with the fine tulle net and pollinate with a q-tip. I’ll have only 12 plants growing in sand bags, and that tulle is cheap and wide. Hope to never have those AWFUL bugs at all!!
Try planting basil around each plant. That seems to be deterring even the adults so that they don't even lay eggs. Found that totally by accident. So planted basil on purpose this year and have no beetles on the squash that have basils.
That's great to know! Thank you!
I noticed last year how my basil thrived, and was untouched by the critters, awesome idea.
A specific basil?
I’ll try it this year!
I had a ton of basil all over my yard and garden even next to my squash plants 3 years in a row and that did NOTHING as far as the squash bugs. I did diatomaceous earth, sevin, wrapped tin foil around the base of the plant when first planting, hand picked them off on a daily basis. Nothing worked. So this year I will try the garlic and onion, planting and throwing raw around and see if that helps. Plus I'm going to trellis them up a wire tomato rack to help prevent powdery mildew. And I'm even doing a few in pots up on my deck to keep a better eye on them and for back up.
Nasturtiums planted with the squash kept the bugs under control.
I've tried that and didn't work.
Thanks. I've never heard that before.
It might keep some bugs out, but the black jumping beetles are not worth it.
@@Shanngella Ditto, they pay no mind to the nasturtiums in my garden too.
Rabbits ate my nastur
Hi Sarah! I watched your video today while I was working… I am a first time gardener. When I got off work I ran home and checked my squash and sure enough underneath the leaves were squash bug eggs. A couple of the leaves when I flip them over they had hatched and the squash bugs were crawling on the backside to live I pluck that leaf and stomped on the ground. Thank you so much for your video! You saved my squash! Subscribed!
That's awesome! I am so glad you found this video! 😀
By stomping it on the ground any bugs you didn't squash are now multiplying on the ground. Bag it up and remove it.
Good work! I used ordinary cheap masking tape (like for painting), which tears off easily into small pieces. It will usually pull all the eggs up at once, then you can fold it over and put it in the garbage so that even if the egg hatches it can't get away and will die in place immobilized or suffocated. I also used a cordless car vac on them with lots of success on the tiny hatchlings and adult bugs.
I have thought about the tape, but never tried it. thank you so much for the tips!
Nice!
@@TheBigBlueHouseHomestead Thank you so much. I got these kinds of tips from the book All My Secrets of Organic and Container Gardening So Far ... not too well known, but full of ideas like this that were tried before and tested by the author. It saved me a lot of money and time in my struggling garden!
😊
Gotta lot of squash , squashed a lot of squash bugs 🥰👍🏼😂👌🏼
THREE CHEERS TO YOU!! I just discovered your channel & admire your tenacity! The MOMENT you began talking about MANUALLY killing/removing squash bug eggs, etc., I intrinsically KNEW I had to watch your entire video, & after I immediately subscribed. Your method is something even many seasoned gardeners don't do, probably due to the "ick" factor. I too, do a lot of handpicking of bugs/eggs, occasionally venturing out at night with a headlamp to knock slugs/snails into a can of soapy water, except I wear gloves for the slimy stuff because they tend to totally gross me out. Thanks for your channel.
Thank you so much for the kind words! It's not fun when i get my hands dirty. As long as i get rid of the pests, i'm ok. 😀
@@TheBigBlueHouseHomestead I use gloves, "rubber/vinyl" the kinds used for cleaning or health care depending on how strong they need to be for whatever I am doing.
thank you for the timely reminder. Just went out and inspected my squash and pumpkin plants and so far only found one small patch of squash bug eggs. They were up the stem of a flower rather than under the leaves.
That's great! I hope you keep up with them. They are no fun!
I had to start Kabocha squash 3rd time over a week ago (each set 18-24 plants) so I can have squash for pumpkin pies. Even though I collected the bugs and eggs morning and evening, my plants all died. I found great pleasure putting the bugs in the freezer and the eggs into hot coals so that I can hear them pop like little fire crackers. That's real justice for all the time and work. Justice for my short lived plants.
I didn't know they would pop like that.....that's funny
yes! It's great fun. The other thing I get satisfaction from is cutting branches of tent caterpillars off of trees and put in hot fire and watch them wiggle to death.
Love your name, I would love it alot more than what I was given MANY decades ago!!
Shalom Aleichem!!
@@notthereyethomestead8413 Shalom and Toda. The Most High told me that I was no longer Vasana when I found out what it really means, and when I asked what name I should have, He said, "I want you to have Esther's Hebrew name."
@@notthereyethomestead8413 I kept that to myself for two weeks. I told my husband right before we were coming back to America. The Spirit called us to Thailand to serve.
When I told my husband, he was happy, and as we did not know what her Hebrew name was at the time, we went to look it up. The name is the cure to my former name.
plant a bunch of throw away swiss chard around the edges of you garden for the deer.
My garden is set up so different this year. I will have to plan for extra space in the fall. I love the swiss chard. 😀
you are an absolute wealth of knowledge and so good at explaining! Just subbed!
The deer always knows what the gardener loves. Irish spring soap hung around seems to work. Thank you for another great video
Thank you! I will try the soap in the fall.
Thanks for this video Christy, I have looked and looked at how to keep the squash bugs from killing the plants and this is the best video I have seen 👍
Thank you so much! Good luck with your squash bugs!
Brilliant idea Sara. Thanks for sharing!!
I never knew about these buggers. I haven't had to much a problem with the squash bug but I will keep an eye out for them this year. Thank you for the advice about the finger rubber things!
FOR YOUR DEER PROBLEMS - I have found a cheap easy solution, I hang bars of Irish spring soap around areas where I don't want deer. They were eating my beans so I tried this and it worked! When it rains it refreshes the soap and it last all season!
I'll have to try that in the fall. Thank you!
We tried ........they ate the soap.
Can't stand that stuff. It would deter ME from my own garden. : (
@@TheBigBlueHouseHomestead - Why not just plant a bunch of Swiss chard on the edge of the garden just for the deer? That way you'll have some for yourself?
Also if you are able to find this product called milorganite, works all the time
Thanks for your help. Looking forward to you sharing recipes for squash.🙂
I buy cedar pet bedding and use it around my plants to mulch
I add few drops of lemon grass oil and cedar oil to mineral oil in a bottle
Spray on a chunk of wood
Lay that down
No bugs so far
Growing lots of basil and peppermint in pots to grow between plants
As well as green onions and other herbs grown in pots
Intercropping seems to work
However I have a smaller space so not so much work
Great tips!!! Thank you so much! I do have plans, this year, for companion planting more. I'm also making an herbal spray with lemon balm, spearmint, and garlic. Every little bit helps
I personally would not to such a long lasting mulch to go on annuals. Cedar is much better for long-term beds or for the ground around your bed
cedar in the garden not always good, it contains chemicals and hormones that can slow or stunt plant growth. YMMV.
Thank you!! I loved the rooster in the background. Beautiful gardening there
What a great idea. Thank you so much!
that is so good toknow. I never thought about the finger thingy. i am gonna go get some. Thanks
Super helpful. Thank you! 😊
Thank you for sharing, great tips!!
That's a great tip, I never thought about just smashing the eggs. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for that super cool tip!
Superb, in the world of
gardening, simple and practical!
🌱🐞🐝🌼☀️🌨🌎💕
This is a great video with great information. Also like the rooster in the background! Thank you for this video!
Glad it was helpful!
I use the same soap but I use the lavender and hemp version. Kills squash bugs dead in about 4 minutes. I spray every day around the eggs and now they are all gone for the time being. Not to say it will work for you but in Oklahoma it works good for me. I also mix it with BT and spray all my corn and tomato's. Good luck with the pesky bugs. Happy Homesteading
That's great information to know! I will have to try that this year. Thank you so much!
What is bt?
@@marilyndodd3071 Monterey B.T. is Bacillus thuringiensis
THANK YOU. FOR THE SECRETS. IM FROM TENNESSEE
What a neat idea! Thank you!!
Hi Sarah. Great lesson. Enjoyed learning from you today. Have a blessed day.
Thank you for this! Will try this soon.
BRILLIANT!!!!
I'll order some today.
Cheers!
Thanks!
Thank you! I tried this today and it is a game changer.
This is genius!! I find the adults by watering my plant. They come right up and I can grab them and throw them in a glass jar of water. I don’t like squishing them lol, just flush them away. I’ve been cutting/tearing out the leaves where the eggs are, but I like this so much more.
I hate squishing the bugs too! As long as you can keep up[ with eggs, then there's less bugs
Grow your squash vertically. Put a steak in the ground and keep your leaves tied up six inches off the ground. Plant marigolds, sage, cilantro, dill, chives, mints, and there are others near your squash
I’ve heard of people burying sardines under the seeds to grow huge plants but not heard of the steak trick.
Great lil tip...put it on my shopping list.
Just found your channel. Perfect timing for me. Thanks! Subscribed
Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks for the great tip!
Beautiful garden! Great tip!❤❤❤
Good idea and I see you pruned them too!
Thank you so much!!
I've learned to water my squash plants and watch for the grown squash bugs to come to the leaf tips to dry off, then I squish them between my finger and thumb. I'm trying a couple of zucchini squash plants this year, but I mostly grow Tatume Winter squash and pick them between large egg and baseball size to use in stir fry or soup. They're a vining squash and will put down roots at almost every joint. And they make a decent winter squash that keeps all year. Blessings to you and your loved ones...
Appreciate your video, it's always nice to see what you are describing. Now, I know how to inspect my squash plants. Thank you.
Thanks! Good idea. Will try this..
Fantastic tip and tool!
Thank you!
I use duct tape for the eggs and hatchlings, and a small wet vac to suck up the adult squash bugs. I water my squash, especially at roots, then wait a few minutes for them to show themselves at the top of the plants and vacuum away!
Awesome Idea!!!! Never thought about duct tape for the eggs.
Why does watering cause the bugs to flee to top?
I was thinking to use cordless vacum too beacuse it is hard catch them. Good to know.
I vacuum them into my rainbow vacuum, then add detergent to the water before disposing of it.
Thank you that was so helpful!
Thanks for sharing your ideas!! Have a great week-end!
Thank you for this vlog!
You are so welcome!
I am so glad I watched this! Thanks!
Just ordered a package of those Swingline Rubber Fingertips from Office Depot. Thanks so much!
I loved you idea! I love your videos they are very informative.
Thank you so much!
Thank you for your tip.
Great tip! Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Your garden looks beautiful - and great tip! (Much better than squishing directly between the fingers!)
Thank you! The garden is a bit of a mess now. I'm getting it back in shape for the fall plantings. I don't mind squishing bugs, i just fell like i don't damage the eggs enough. Sometimes i think that the eggs, after hitting the ground, still hatch. the paper gripper seems to work better.
@@TheBigBlueHouseHomestead I haven't had any issues with bugs until this year, and it's just in one of my big Merritt Tree Collards, but I've now squished a *lot* of bugs. 😩 I'm definitely giving your method a try. ☺️
Excellent idea!! Thx.
Thank you! 😀
Don't we farmers know how to have a good time! Thanks for the finger-cot idea. Now my work gloves won't get so slimy.
Thanks so much I have been checking for eggs but I cut all the leaves with eggs so now I am going to do it same way with the rubber finger thingy thanks for the tips. Happy gardening season
Hopefully you have your bugs under control. It's a hard battle! Happy gardening to you!!!!!😀
I bought the. Today found them in the school supply section I definitely will use them I lost 3 plants with vine bores too I will check my plants daily thanks again
Thanks for the video. I usually just cut the leaves off and put them in the trash.
You're welcome!!! 😀
Great job
Great tip!
I just found you 😆 And I found cucumber bugs in my corn! Squished! I'm as organic as I can be and it's a full time job keeping up with the pesties.
Great tip, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Great tip. Thanks.
Thank you!
Cool tip! Thanks!🙂
You're welcome! Glad it helps
We plant extra greens around the perimeter for things like deer, and then I plant the stuff for us on the inner garden. The finger cot is a great idea!
YES!! finger cot!
Good info!
what a good idea!
Awesome tool to have in the garden well worth the money and time!!
*Have a good'nnn*
Thanks! It works out great for me. 😀
Thanks for reminding me to keep checking.
You are welcome!
Hi! I just found you! Can’t wait to listen to more videos!
Thank you for this video I love the tips you gave. Your land is so beautiful 😍 #goals
great idea on using the page turner!
Thank you for telling me how to deal with the squash bug. ❤️👍❤️
They can take over a garden fast. Hopefully you can keep them under control.
Squashing bad bugs is so satisfying! Thanks for the tip! The tomato tobacco worm is the worst. I have to use a bigger tool so I don't touch it!
This is serious and it does work. Dribble human urine around your garden where the deer are bothering your plants and they will not bother anything. Don't put it directly around the plants where they can leach it but around your garden. My daughter had a problem with deer wrecking her garden. An old farmer told her to do that. No more deer. They were unharmed and so was her garden.
So, against my better judgment and with a mask over my face so you can’t see my embarrassment, a virile male’s urine sprinkled around the outside edge of chicken pen, goat pen, rabbit hutch...smallish farm animals in general will keep predators at bay. Might even work for deer.
Thank you for the tips!
@@dianironfeather7785 exactly. Needs to be male past puberty. Like a real male. Also - all fresh urine is STERILE and highly nourishing for plants (especially nitrogen). Dilute it 10:1.
To help deter the deer, I use moth ball bags. I hang them all around my garden. I get the flag hangers from the local dollar store to hang them. It smells bad and the deer hate it. I also use bars of the regular Irish Spring soap. I hang them in suet cages a few feet from the moth balls. Dollar stores haves the soap too. Deer don't like that smell either. My garden is in the path to a corn feeder due to these smells, the deer walk right by my garden.
I also use food grade peppermint oil to spray on my vegetables to help keep bad bugs off the plants. I put 16 drops into a liter sized spray bottle and. add water. I spray my plants twice a week. For some reason bugs do not like the smell of peppermint.
That's a great tip! I will have to try that. Thank you😀
Do you think fresh peppermint pureed and blended with water would work?
@@cinthiahector2476 its worth a try. But I would let the grou nd leaves sit in the water for a couple of days so the oil get in the water.
Great idea- thanks! First video of yours I have watched with a great idea = new sub!
Awesome! Thank you!
Neither do snakes and other critters
Also consider that all bugs have a 'Life Cycle', if you organize your planting at the right time and in the right planting season for your area, (depending of course on where you are) you can avoid some pests altogether.
That is absolutely true. My garden is set up completely different this year. It's a much better growing year 😀
How do you deal with earwigs? These are destroying my sunflowers and beans and Swiss chard and beet greens.
I've tried so many things
I had no idea .. where do I find what the life cycle is for Boerne TX?
@@hollymahler8213 It's not about the area, it's about the BUG itself. Goggle, for instance, HORNWORM LIFE CYCLE and you'll get information on that bug's life cycle which you can then match up with your environment's WEATHER patterns (& the veggie varieties you grow) to determine when your most likely to have a 'infestation' of those particular bugs.
Unfortunately, in the southern half (more or less) of the US, the squash bugs can cycle through two or even three generations, so there's no working around them that way.
Thanks for this tip!
Happy to help!
Guess we know why they are called “squash” plants! Great tip, thanks for sharing. Heading out to buy myself one of those finger tips.
m
Thank you! I'm so glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing!!!
I have four squash plants. I’m going to check them now
Your Rooster is beautiful!!
I am going to try cutting up the onion and clean off the eggs❤️ love your squash.
So glad I found you! I am also 7B in SC.
Thank you so much!
I grow a huge row of swiss chard, my chickens love it.
that was a great tip!!
Glad it was helpful!
I saw your title and clicked on it because I just lost five of my squash plants and will lose more. I didn't realize it was so simple to look and squash. I just subscribed because I just planted more zucchini plants. Now I can save them. Thank you, thank you. Take care.
Glad I could help!
You have to look on the vines too for SVB eggs, they lay them everywhere.
🙂👍☕ great job on your video
Good morning. That little goody is also called a "finger cot". Since I work in the food industry, I have to wear vinyl gloves for food prep and I use them to squash the little buggers.
It's a handy little tool. I love using it 😀
I like to use the gloves for all types of gardening work, use the stronger cleaning type when I need a stronger glove.
Another deer 🦌 preventive is fishing line on stacks around your garden. About 2.5 ‘ tall. It spooks them because they can’t see it. You can move the fishing fence around. Or just put it up by your Swiss chard. Or resort to chicken wire over them. You can use row covers for your plants as well. Keeps out unwanted pests. For squash it helps up to when they bloom.
Thank you for the tips! This video was from last year, and so far this year's garden is safe from the deer. Hopefully the fall garden survives.
Love your simplicity and transparency. Thankfully, you are a beautiful women. Which means you dont have to dress and pretend like gardening isn't dirty work. I love your dress and hair style, it shows honesty and transparency of reality. Thank you for being genuine.
And also for sharing practical garden tips.