garden pest

cahas

They are back. Last year critter resembling stink bugs, a little longer and different color, killed several of my yellow squash. They would burrow down in the root system, you could see them come out of their holes they're. Seems they also attacked the base of the stalk, slowly malnourishing plant till it died. Anyone know what this thing is and your success stories on ridding of this pest. I don't remember this thing being around till a few years ago.

chollagardens

Do they have stripes?

cahas

No stripes, Dark brown to an almost black. Slightly longer than what we call a stink bug in this area. On its back there is a slight crest. Sprinkled some sevin dust around the burroughs this morning and just saw one dead when i went out to garden.

chollagardens

I can't think of what that one is. Would like to know! Some nurseries have a huge Ortho book that lists, with pictures, most of the pests.

He Dog

Probably squash bugs. There are hundreds of species of similar hemipterans (true bug Order) that have piercing/sucking mouth parts that suck the juices from plants (and some that suck the juices from animals and people [V]). Sevin dust is pretty nasty stuff, but should work. Any commercial insect spray for use on food plants should do the job.

11b6r

Squash vine borer. Sevin.

brier-49

http://ipm.ncsu.edu/ag295/html/squash_bug.htm

cahas

Thats it ! Squash bug, and i have been squashing them. Has that X, or sideways hour glass on its back.

allen griggs

I used to grow some plants in the woods and those damn bugs would stick their snouts into the stalk and kill the plant.
They cost me a lot of money!