Squash Bugs in Albuquerque, NM

By request! Today we're getting a rundown on squash bugs in New Mexico: how to identify them, what to do about them, best growing strategies, and even a little bit about recent research with some promising vectors that may lead to more solutions in our gardens.
The promised article!
news.emory.edu....
For more about growing in our crazy high desert climate, check out my other videos:
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Why Gardening in ABQ, NM is so Different
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[@DsHomeyGarden]

Squash tree I freaking love it and please keep teaching..... you're doing great.

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

More to come!

[@desertportal353]

Good info and thank you for all the specific info. Stay cool!!!

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

Hope it helps!

[@journal.revival]

I live in the high dessert in Utah and I started growing zucchino rampicante exclusively. They can be harvested young like summer squash and also left on the vine for a winter squash. This has been the only solution I have come up with. The squash bugs don’t seem to bother them at all!

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

I will have to look that one up. Thank you for sharing!

[@redbeard7094]

Just a bit south of you here in LC, NM, this summer was horrible for squash bugs. They killed off all our pumpkins, butternut, zucchini, and yellow squash. Even with rotating our squash area. Tried plucking them off and throwing inna 5 gal bucket of water. Will have to try harder next year. Thanks for the tips.

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

Good luck. You're fighting the good fight and it's one I haven't mastered yet. Let us know if you hit on a super tip!

[@sagepremoe1565]

Me too! I give up, at least for this coming summer.

[@DavidEngland-tn5ih]

I have heard cucurbits cross pollinate, therefore saving seed risks getting weird fruit, especially when they cross with gourds.

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

It's true, and can cause some inedible results. If you ever have this happen and wind up with a bitter tasting fruit, don't eat it. You'll wind up sick. For seed collecting in these cases, you'll want to hand pollinate and then cover with a fine mesh bag to prevent pollinators from interfering. Only collect seed from this resulting fruit.

[@xikano8573]

Build that soil sponge baby...

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

Yeah, baby, yeah!

[@PotentialProblemsPod]

i think people that pick the bugs off bare handed are the ones to be concerned about lol

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

I definitely admire the people who can bring themselves to do it!

[@dr.froghopper6711]

This year trashed my garden. I watered like crazy but life events forced me to be inconsistent in doing so and it didn’t work.

[@highdesertgrowingABQ]

I had a similar problem--threw my back out and could barely move for weeks. I lost so many plants and two trees in that time. So frustrating!