I love non toxic methods to kill the baddies.

flaflwrgrl said:I love non toxic methods to kill the baddies.

Shoe, I've never tried the alcohol/soap spray; does it kill the eggs too?

Great tip Shoe! I don't have squash (or squash bugs) but I use that soap/alcohol method of control for bugs on many plants ... works really well!

Howdy, Folks...
Oh m'goodness, I forgot I suggested this tip. What a nice surprise.

"I love non toxic methods to kill the baddies."
Ann, yes, it is a fairly non-toxic way but remember even the safest insect control methods may have certain drawbacks. Soap sprays, used properly sure will help control/kill certain pests (most of them the soft-bodied kind) they can also hurt some of the beneficials. Also, improperly mixed and/or applied may have an affect on certain plants so use caution. With squash plants I feel perfectly safe spraying it, having never seen any detrimental affect to the plant itself.

Chelle...as for the eggs, I can't honestly make a for-sure statement about that mainly because I'd have to do some "personal proof", something you now make me wanna do! :>) But I do know this: The fatty acids in the soap work by clogging the pores of the insects and, depending on the insect, will either cause them to asphyxiate (because many of them breath through their skin) or will dehydrate them (like the soft-bodied bugs like aphids, etc). That being the case I see the squash bud eggs as being "breathable unborn creatures" so can only guess they eggs are either being smothered or their tissue is being broken down by the fatty acids. I'll let you know when I try that experiment! I just gotta know for sure! :>)

Lastly, just to cover more of the bases, everyone should be careful using any soap or soap/alcohol or oil spray during the heat of the day so you don't damage your plants.

Shoe (off to eat a dead chicken, some fresh-picked Romano beans, and taters in a basil and butter sauce!)

Hi, Lin! Hope all is well in sunny Florida!

Thanks again, Shoe.

I usually just tear away the parts of the leaves that have eggs on them, but it would be neat to hear the results of your experiments as well.

Enjoy your table bird and spuds repast, it sounds delicious!

Living in Fl. Shoe I know the dangers of applying anything (even water! ) during the heat of the day & the blazing sun. But thanks for the reminder as well as the danger of killing the "good ones".

*burp.

Oh my, EXCUSE me! Musta been sumpin' I ate.
(And yes, it was delicious!)

Ann, I spent my share of time in Florida and sure do remember that heat! I was further down than you but no matter where you are in Florida if it is 90* it is HOT! Even jumping in the Gulf was like swimming in bath water. Ugh.

Chelle, I do that, too....tear off the leaves. And use the leaves to smash the eggs, folding them over to do it.

Been a long day (market day here) so gonna go find a softer chair to sit in a while than this 3-legged stool I call my "computer chair". Back later.

Happy Day to ya'll!
Shoe

Good to know about the bug defeating method!
Thanks!

I'm having difficulty deciding which eggs are squash bug eggs, and which are eggs of beneficials....so, as I see clusters of squash bug hatchlings I'm dosing them with Lin's Murphy's Mix. It flattens those critters with a quickness, and I've not had any plant damage either.


Thanks again!


Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I neglected to add the vegetable oil. I guess I didn't need it for the squash bugs anyway.

Heheheh, I reckon you were saving the vegetable oil for when you cook the squash, eh, Chelle? Yummy! And don't forget to add the chopped/smashed garlic clove(s)and some sweet onion along with those squash...a dish cooked to perfection!

...and some long beans! Mmmm...so good!

My self-management practices are coming along nicely, too. This year we have just enough steady supply of most varieties; only the overly-prolific yellow squash is being given away in any real quantity. None have hit the compost heap yet!

"My self-management practices are coming along nicely, too."

Hah! Now THAT's the sign of a good gardener. Way to go! Glad your squash is being ingested, not dejected, and that includes giving it away to others. Sharing: one of the best things about a veggie garden, eh?

I haven't grown long beans in quite a few years, still preferring snap pole beans instead. I sure remember "the year of the noodle beans" though, quite an abundance of them but they seemed to come much later in the year than I preferred. But as in many things, they were well worth the waiting.

Oh well, speaking of gardens I'm afraid quite a few of my boxed beds are prolifically producing weeds so I better get out there and "harvest" them--- I hope to be setting out fall/winter crops soon and better make some space for them.

Happy Gardening!

Coming from you, Shoe, that's high praise indeed! Thanks for making my day!

The timing of the long beans are just right to go with the summer squash; plus, the rabbits and groundhogs don't bother them.

Funny stuff! Last evening during my last garden check of the day, with Murphy's sprayer in hand, one of the little long-eared devils decided to mock me by continuing to sit right at my feet...so I tried the spray on his backside! Sprayers work to train cats, so who knows? I also sprayed the remains of my chewed up bush bean plants... thinking the smell of the contents might help. Might as well give it a try.

Weeding for me today, too.

You have yourself a fine one, too!