| IT SEEMS EVERY YEAR I GROW ZUCCHINI SQUASH MY PLANTS END UP DYING DUE TO THOSE NASTY WHITE BODIED, BLACK HEADED VINE BORERS. WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT THIS? I HAVE A DISABILITY AND I NEED THE EASIEST WAY TO CONTROL THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. |
| The borers are active for about a month in June with usually only one generation per year. Planting after that period should solve the problem. Zucchini grow fast enough that you should still have a nice crop. Another approach would be to plant at the normal time but wrap nylon stocking material around the stems to stop the borers; this is fairly labor intensive however. Finally, if you notice a borer hole in a stem early enough, you can kill the borer with a sharp wire or knife tip and the plant may recover. |
