Preventative Measures Can Help to Control Squash Bugs

— Written By Carol Hicks
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A common question from growers is “How do I control squash bugs?” A research article in Journal of Integrated Pest Management provides some solutions. The article was recently released online. It’s free and has nice photographs. Below is a summary of the article as written by Richard Levine with ESA:

Squash bug female and eggs Photograph courtesy of ESA

Squash bug female and eggs
Photograph courtesy of ESA

Preventative measures can help to control squash bugs

If there’s one word that describes the squash bug (Anasa tristis), it is frustrating, according to Hélène Doughty, the lead author of an article that appears in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.

“It’s just a very difficult pest to control,” she said. “It’s definitely been a frustrating pest and a frustrating area of study.”

However, she and her colleagues at Virginia Tech have set out to help growers with their new article, which describes the insect’s biology and life cycle, as well as the damage it does and methods of controlling it.

Farmers have successfully used so-called broad-spectrum insecticides against squashbugs for decades, but many are now getting away from that practice, in part because such insecticides kill not only the target pest, but also many other insects, including beneficial ones.

“Growers are attempting to use less harsh chemicals and are turning to integrated pest management, meaning they are using a variety of different techniques that don’t just involve spraying insecticides. This is due to public perception, cost, and simply trying to be more environmentally friendly,” Doughty said.

One tactic to fight squash bugs is to clean up the area around plants. Debris and dead vegetation can serve as shelters for the insects, which like to hide in the darkness.

Another tactic involves boosting the natural enemies of squash bugs, including tachinid flies that lay eggs inside of them. Covering rows of crops may help to prevent colonization, and growing “trap crops” to attract the bugs and keep them away from other crops may also help.

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These and other methods are described in the open-access article “Squash Bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae): Biology and Management in Cucurbitaceous Crops,” which is available for free at http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmv024 .

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is published by the Entomological Society of America. For more information, visit http://www.entsoc.org.

Written By

Carol Hicks, N.C. Cooperative ExtensionCarol HicksFormer Extension Coordinator Email Carol Center for Integrated Pest Management
NC State Extension, NC State University
Posted on Jan 27, 2016
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