How to avoid pumpkin vine borer bugs ?

Last year my son and I tried to grow our own pumpkin. We were doing wonderful untill we got these pumpkin root destroying bugs. They eat the pumpkin vine from the inside out and basically when you only have the one plant then your done. We don't have the room for a huge pumpkin patch. Any tips on how to avoid these little buggers?

How to avoid pumpkin vine borer bugs ?
Ahhhh....the dreaded squash vine borers. We have been fighting those little buggers for years and there are a few things you can do.

First plant nonvining / bush varieties of pumpkins....look for varieties like Orange Smoothie for bowling ball size pumpkins and for carvers grow Magic Lantern, Aspen or Big Autumn. We hardly every have much problems with borers in our bush plants.

You can find these bush seed varieties online or go to these websites to get free catalog:

http://www.harrisseeds.com

http://www.twilleysseeds.com

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/



Ok....second thing to do is watch for the little moths that lay the eggs that produce the vine borer.

Here in Iowa you will find the moth's for about a 2 week period in early June buzzing like little wasps around our pumpkin patch. Usually they appear in the morning or late afternoon and the little orange moths will land on leaves and will sit for a while giving you time to spray it with flying bug spray.

Here is photos of the moths:

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn...

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distributio...

Once you have seen moths and it is inevitable that they will get some eggs layed....wait about 2 weeks and spray your garden with "Seven" bug spray concentrate around bases of your pumpkins. Otherwise you can get powder form of Seven that you can sprinkle around your pumpkins. Saturate the area around the pumpkin stems with the Seven and keep your eyes peeled for vine borere activity.Sometimes you can find the baby borers around base of your pumpkin plants or find the early small holes. You can literally cut them out of plant when they are smaller and your plant may be okay.

If you wait and let the borer keep eating it will keep growing and eventually kill the vine...as you found out.

If you do cut into your vine...use a very sharp little kitchen knife and gently slice into hole.....

..remove the borer....smash the little frickn borer and then take top soil and cover vine up past the incision and water really good. Keep the vine covered up for a least a week.

Keep an eye on vine...if it doesnt make it ....cut it off and remove vine to it from dying off and possibly getting diseased.



I have done lots of research on ways to deter vine borers. Seen methods from old time gardeners saying to plant a onion bulb with each pumpkin mound....tried it -did not work.

One said to plant radishes at pumpkin base- tried it-did not work.

Another method is to wrap tin foil around base of each pumpkin vine. We have over 1000 hills of pumpkins....that idea is not feasible...but for small gardeners its something to consider after you see the moth come around.



Well I hope this helps you and don't give up raising pumpkins.
Reply:As the plant grows sprinkle some sevendust on it and around it. don't get any on the flower.

The water will feed the plant some of the poison from the dust inside the plant to kill what eats on it.

The moths lay eggs in the flower, the larve travels down the shaft to the base and then feed from the inside out. Putting the poison on the flower however, even kills the bees that are pollunating. The bees will only land on the flower.

Hope this helps.
Reply:Have them fight the ROUS's (Rodents of unusual size) ..the vine borer bugs will lose...Just ask, amd I'll sic my giant green tomato bugs on 'em!