Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are significant agricultural pests during the summer and fall. They pierce leaves stems and fruits of melon and squash while feeding, wounding tissues which then collapse. Click image to enlarge.
Despite our best efforts in dealing with the drought, two of the zucchini plants suddenly collapsed yesterday.
Several squash bugs emerged from the compost at the base of the plants as we watered. We found several clusters of copper colored eggs on the surface of some of the leaves.
Squash bug eggs on the underside of a butternut squash leaf. Click image to magnify.
Because so many of the flowers were actively being pollinated yesterday morning, we waited several hours before spraying the plants, flowers, leaves and zucchini with Sevin.
This morning we found adults squash bugs on several of our massive butternut squash plant’s leaves. Turning over the leaves and stems revealed mating squash bugs, an ovipositing female, a large number of egg clusters, and several minute gray nymphs.
The bush cucumbers, which are bearing well, and the heavily flowering melon plants are unaffected at this point. I am crushing the eggs, nymphs and adults as I encounter them.
We’re off to problem solve with some of the County Extension staff later today.
Mating pair of squash bugs (Anasa tristis) I encountered when I turned over the first butternut squash leaf squash leaf. Click/double click image to magnify.
Ovipositing female squash bugs (Anasa tristis) on the underside of the second butternut squash leaf squash leaf. Click image to enlarge.
Gray squash bug (Anasa tristis) nymphs on the underside of the first butternut squash leaf. Click/double click image to enlarge.
