Zucchini-flowers and squash bug patrol

zucchini- 2025

I want to address squash flower pollination. All squash including zucchini have separate male and female flowers and need pollinator bees to pollinate them to produce the fruit. The bees visit the male flowers collecting the pollen and then go over to the female flowers where they brush off some of the pollen on their legs. Without bees, we would have to hand pollinate but lucky for us, they do the work.

SQUASH FLOWERS
Zucchini produce the male flowers first-about 2 weeks before the female flowers arrive. I just noticed the flower buds starting. You can tell the difference because male flowers have the flower on the end of a straight stem while female flowers have a tiny (future fruit) attached at the base of the flower. Very easy to tell the difference.

It’s stamen not staman

The inside of the blossom is also different. Notice the difference.

SQUASH BUG PATROL
What does this have to do with squash bugs? The squash bug is already out and about so I keep my zucchini covered completely with row cover so they can’t get in just yet which saves me time. My beds have a drip system but you can water through the row cover too.

Once they start producing flowers (male flowers come first) I still keep them covered. But once the female flower comes, I have to UNCOVER the plants so the bees can get in and do the pollination. And that’s when the squash bugs get in and I have to go on squash bug patrol.

SQUASH BUG LIFE CYCLE-IMPORTANT!
Squash bugs go from eggs to nymphs in 7-10 days. You don’t want to let them to turn into nymphs. So you need to get out once a week and look for adults (put in bucket of soapy water), scrape off the rootbeer colored eggs off the leaves and stems and put in the bucket. If you do that, you will control them. But you must be diligent.

If you don’t go out, the eggs hatch into the grey colored nymphs with black legs and get out of control and are hard to catch-I’ve had to sometimes cut off a whole leaf and stem and quickly put them in the bucket of soapy water because they nymphs are very fast and usually a lot hatch at one time.

So I go out every 7 days on Sundays to inspect and control the squash bugs. The time has come-you pick your day but don’t delay.

Squash tips-dealing with squash vine borers and squash bugs

Jul16

This is an updated and expanded post on squash bugs that I posted in 2011.

It’s squash season! I get a lot of questions about how to control squash bugs and squash vine borers. They are a veggie gardener’s nemesis. I have read and tried several things and think a few help. Here’s a list of things you might try to control squash bugs and squash vine borers.

Learn to identify squash vine borer and squash bugs

squash bug

SQUASH BUGS
Squash bugs attack both summer and winter squash. They are here now. They pierce it and suck out the juices. If left unchecked, they can take over and destroy the plant. The key to control is catching them right away. Here are some things to try:

-Learn to identify male flowers vs female flowers on squash plants so you know when to remove row covers.

-Plant squash that is somewhat resistant to squash bugs. I’ve grown many varieties of squash but have found some seem to resist squash bugs while others attract them.

Summer squash-I grow the variety Friulana, a yellow zucchini style squash, which don’t seem to attract as many squash bugs.

Winter squash-I grow Butternuts which don’t seem to attract as many squash bugs

-Completely cover plants with med weight row cover till the female flowers appear, then remove the row cover so bees can pollinate them. Still check your plants weekly.

–Squash bugs life cycle from egg to nymph is 7-10 days so keep ahead of them by inspecting every week BEFORE they hatch.

-Hand pick every 7 days and remove eggs, nymphs and adults from leaves. Put in bucket of soapy water. Then cover plants again with row cover if no flowers.

-Rotate squash into different beds every year. They may not find you. First time squash growers generally get the first year free of squash bugs. Afterward the bugs find you and the battle is on.

–Plant late-like the first couple of weeks of July-you may miss their lifecycle.

Spray with Azamax which contains a Neem product that has anti-feeding properties. It helps somewhat.

squash vine borer

SQUASH VINE BORER
It comes in July. It bores into the main stem around the base of the plant to lay its eggs which then turn into larvae inside the vine and eat it from the inside. Look for sawdust like particles around base if plant suddenly wilts. You can try to slit the vine parallel (not across it) and dig out the grub and then tape the wound shut. It may survive.

Here are some things to try:
–Once again cover them with row cover until pollination needs to happen.

–Wrap aluminum foil around the base of the vine for about 12 inches to keep them from attacking the base of the vine.

–Also bury the vine with dirt or mud covering the main vine.

I find keeping squash plants covered with row cover really helps in that I don’t have to battle the bugs till the flowers appear.