Three solutions have worked for me:
- Start the squash in peat pots (Jiffy strips), and cover with floating row cover as soon as they are transplanted. The row cover is buried at the edges, with enough slack to allow the squash leaves to push it up as they grow. When the squash either outgrow the cover or start to bloom, the cover is removed. In my area, the SVB egg laying period has ended by then. So, apparently, has most of the first hatch of cucumber beetle & squash bug. The squash are virtually trouble free from that point on.
- Plant fast-maturing varieties late. This worked (accidentally) last year, when heavy rains kept me from planting until the July 4th weekend. I had to scrap plans for most of my squash, and planted short DTM zucchini & yellow straight neck instead. I over planted, expecting heavy losses... but to my surprise, there were no insect issues. Apparently the late planting also avoided the egg laying periods. I found myself rolling in zukes.
- For summer squash, plant Tromboncino (a.k.a. Zucchetta Rampicante) instead of bush summer squash. Tromboncino, like its cousin the Butternut, is highly borer resistant. They get attacked, but once the vines get several feet long, the plant is able to defend itself. I might see frass briefly, but if I check again a week later, there is no more frass & the vine has healed.
I use several variations of soap spray, with Dawn or baby shampoo as the soap. You can also use Safers insecticidal soap, to lessen the possibility of leaf burn... but I just use regular soap, and spray the leaves clean after the bugs are dead. To kill squash bugs, I add rubbing alcohol to the mix... provided the bugs are completely covered, they die quickly. This solution also kills the eggs. Cucumber beetles are harder to kill, adding cooking oil to the mix increases effectiveness.
A poster on another forum listed the USDA's recommended soap spray formula in 2006, it has been the starting point for my own experimentation:
Quote:
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INSECTICIDE: A U.S.D.A. formula combining oil and soap is effective in killing soft-bodied insects. Mix 1 cup peanut, safflower, corn, soybean, or sunflower oil with 1 tablespoon liquid dishwashing detergent. To make the spray, use 11/2 teaspoons of the oil-detergent mixture for each cup of water.
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Rubbing alcohol increases the effectiveness, since it paralyses on contact. At the right strength, it will even spray wasps out of the air.