Stick it to Borers!

July/August 2005
Barbara Pleasant 
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The nemesis of squash lovers, squash vine borers (

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Melittia cucurbitae) girdle squash stems from the inside out, which radically shortens the plants' lifespans. Here are seven creative ways gardeners have found to control them.


  • Grow a moschata or mixta variety. Squash vine borers leave them alone.

  • Use rowcovers to delay infestation.

  • Inject Bt or beneficial nematodes into the stems. Studies have shown that nematodes remain active inside the stems for two weeks or more. Supplies for trying either method are available from Gardens Alive!

  • Surgically remove them. Use a small knife to make a slit where you think borers are feeding, and fish them out with forceps or tweezers. Then cover the slit stem with moist soil.

  • Trap the mamas. Large yellow pails filled with soapy water placed among your squash may attract the egg-laying adults (which are moths that look like wasps). Theoretically, they fall in and drown.

  • Strip off eggs. Some folks wrap the bases of squash with aluminum foil or cloth to deter egg-laying adults. Later, should eggs appear farther up the stem, they can be stripped off with duct tape.

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