Squash bugs are one of the hardest pests to get rid of once they are in your yard. It can be very sad to walk out into your yard and find your beautiful zucchini trees dead on the ground. All of those hopes for a big zucchini crop this year have been shattered.
Crop movement can be helpful, but only if there is enough room to move around. From what I’ve seen, chickens and guinea pigs don’t like squash bugs very much. So, how to keep bugs off zucchini plants?
In this article, I’m going to mention some natural ways how to keep bugs off zucchini plants.
What is the zucchini squash bug?
First of all, let’s talk about what a squash problem is. It is simply a nasty bug. They look almost exactly like the things you’ve been calling stink bugs your whole life, but they are a little bit smaller and thinner. (ie. stink bugs are more round). They are shield beetles that are about an inch long and have a hard shell on the outside and a soft shell on the inside.
Even though they like some kinds of squash and fruits better than others, squash bugs eat almost all kinds of summer and winter squash.
The adult beetles will spend the winter in the ground and will hatch in the spring. They will get together and lay their eggs on the back of the plant’s leaves. When the females come out, they can kill your zucchini plant very fast.
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How to Find Bugs on Your Plants?
In the morning and evening, look at the bottom of the leaves and the root of your zucchini plants.
At the start of the growing season, you can see adult squash bugs on the stalks, leaves, and dirt around the plants. Since they will soon lay eggs, it’s not rare to find two bugs that are trying to mate.
As the season goes on, more adults and neat stacks of golden-brown eggs will show up on the leaves of your plants. Even though they can sometimes be found on the tips or stalks, they are usually on the bottom of the leaves.
When the squash bug eggs hatch, you will see a lot of small, soft-bodied, grey squash bug babies. Most of the time, these people are the ones who do the most damage to your plants.
How to Keep Squash Bugs from Coming Back to Your Garden!
Zucchini is one of the summer squashes that grows the fastest when it is kept free of bugs. Zucchini is an annual crop that grows cylinder-shaped, thin-skinned green or golden fruit 35 to 55 days after it is planted.
The Missouri Botanical Garden says that it could be infected by whiteflies, aphids, squash plant borers, cutworms, leaf miners, stinkbugs, and spider mites.
Bugs kill and kill off zucchini plants by drinking their juice and killing plant tissue. Some pests can even make plants sick. To keep bugs off zucchini plants, use more than one method.
Natural ways to keep bugs away from eating zucchini plants
Zucchini plants are often grown in vegetable areas, they attract bugs which cause many diseases to zucchini. So, work on bugs off zucchini plants. If you don’t get rid of them, these bugs could hurt or even kill your plants. In this section, I’ll tell you how to keep pests away from zucchini trees so that they stay healthy and produce a lot of zucchini.
Partner Planting
Planting the same kinds of plants together helps them both grow and keeps pests away. You can keep pests away from your zucchini plants by planting thyme, parsley, and mint near them. They attract good bugs like pollinators and ladybugs, which eat bad bugs, and they smell so strong that many bugs don’t like them.
Table Skirts
Use row covers to protect your zucchini plants from bugs. These screens are made of thin cloth that lets light and water through but keeps bugs out. Put the cover over your plants, and then use rocks or nails to hold them in place.
Handpicking
One of the best ways to get rid of pests on zucchini plants is to pick them off by hand. Even though it takes a lot of work, this method could be very effective. Check your plants for bugs often and remove any you find by hand. Make sure to get rid of the bugs far from your yard so they don’t come back.
Related Readings
- 11 Beneficial Bugs That Help Tomato Plants Grow Safe from Pests
- Cucumber Beetles & Cucumber Bugs: How To Fight Them In Your Garden
- How To Train Pumpkin Vines?
- How to Grow Eggplant on a Trellis?
Neem Oil
Pests can be kept away from zucchini trees by using neem oil, which is a natural poison. This oil made from the neem tree is safe for both people and animals. Neem oil should be mixed with water according to the directions on the bottle before it is used to spray on plants.
Earth Broken Down
Granular diatomaceous earth is made from diatoms, which are a type of algae. This stuff kills mosquitoes but is safe for people and animals. Spread diatomaceous earth around the base of your zucchini plants to make an insect-proof barrier that bugs can’t get through.
Tidy plant beds
Cleaning up your flowers can help keep bugs from coming in. Your zucchini trees should not have any trash or dead leaves that bugs could live in. Also, make sure to switch which crops you collect each year to keep bugs from gathering in the soil.
Conclusion
There are many ways to keep bugs off zucchini plants, from companion planting to natural insecticides. By incorporating these methods into your gardening routine, you can help ensure that your zucchini plants remain healthy and produce a bountiful harvest.
