30 Comments

  1. Diane
    April 3, 2018 @ 10:10 pm

    We companion plant radishes next to our squash plants. We hardly ever see a squash bug now! It works great

    Reply

    • lnielsen811@yahoo.com
      April 9, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

      Hi Diane,

      Wow, that is awesome! I’m totally going to try this. Thank you for sharing!

      Laura

      Reply

    • Nancy Hubbard
      June 9, 2020 @ 1:43 am

      I live in the texas panhandle where it is generally dry during the growing season. Squash bugs are not an issue anymore- plant basil and marigolds allaround the squash plants & use a cedar-blend mulch. There has been no sign of them again this year. You can use the basil and enjoy the pollinators brought in by the marigolds.

      Reply

      • Laura Nielsen
        June 9, 2020 @ 4:20 am

        Thank you so much for sharing. I’m sure this information will help a lot of readers! What a great idea to plant basil and marigolds around the squash.

        Reply

  2. lnielsen811@yahoo.com
    April 4, 2018 @ 1:42 am

    Really?? That’s awesome! I think I may just need to try this. Thanks for sharing the tip, Diane!

    Reply

  3. Tashanda
    April 7, 2018 @ 9:09 pm

    I am an environmental educator that uses the garden at my middle school for many lessons. The first year I taught we were attacked by all kinds of pest in the garden, squash bugs included.

    I did a few things including neem oil, Diotemacious Earth, and soapy water (natural Castille soap). All 3 strategies were successful.

    However the strategies that have kept these bugs at bay the last 6 growing seasons since has been lots of work on our soil. Healthy soil creates healthy plants that can withstand pest infestation. We also do extensive companion planting which has proven extremely successful in bringing in benefici bugs and birds who feed on the past.

    Lastly, we spend time physically removing bugs as well as soon as we see them. It’s all an experiment when you garden but I stand by healthy soil as your main goal for deterring pest. Good luck!

    Reply

    • lnielsen811@yahoo.com
      April 9, 2018 @ 6:25 pm

      Hi Tashanda,

      Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with us! I’m glad to hear that the things you have tried were successful…that’s always encouraging. Yes, I believe the best things for plants is building healthy soil. Another commenter mentioned that companion planting worked well for her too. (And yes, gardening is always an experiment). Thanks again for sharing your successes!

      Laura

      Reply

  4. Itzy Stolarczyk
    April 8, 2018 @ 1:53 pm

    I am a diehard supporter of food grade Diatamocious (DE). I mix in soil mixture for square foot garden.
    Also coat dog, cat, bird, chicken & goat food with it. No parasites/worms in any of them. Also add 1 TBS to my coffee and my arthritis has improved.
    Moles have moved on because DE has killed all the grub worms. Ants are gone, including Fire ants ! Only caution is not get it eyes when applying. Can be spread with spreader if mixed 50/50 with sand or anything you are spreading.

    Reply

    • lnielsen811@yahoo.com
      April 9, 2018 @ 6:33 pm

      Thank you for sharing your experiences. Wow, it sounds like it has really helped you with so many problems and pests. Good for you!

      Reply

    • Leslie
      April 9, 2018 @ 10:04 pm

      Me too! Horses are worm free! I love diatomaceous earth! The only problem with veggies is to leave the flowers alone for pollinators

      Reply

  5. Robyne
    April 9, 2018 @ 3:44 am

    Diamataceous Earth is very safe and get rid of lots of critters. Use human grade if you want.

    Reply

    • lnielsen811@yahoo.com
      April 9, 2018 @ 6:35 pm

      Hi Robyne,

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts on DE. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂

      Laura

      Reply

    • Leslie
      April 9, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

      Always use human or food grade as it is called.

      Reply

  6. Peggy bug Williams
    April 9, 2018 @ 1:54 pm

    Don’t worry about using diatomaceous earth in the garden–it is not harmful for humans to digest (just try not to inhale it, it can irritate throat and lungs)
    Diatomaceous earth is often mixed in with grains such as wheat, rice, barley to prevent weivil and other pests from ruining food storage. Use “food grade”
    which is FDA approved, NOT “filter grade” also referred to as non-food grade, as filter grade is mixed with pesticides, which one would NOT want to ingest.

    I have “health-food-nut” friends who take diatomaceous earth daily to keep GI tract healthy!
    Note: Diatomaceous earth is a type of sand that consists of microscopic skeletons of algae called diatoms that have of fossilized over millions of years. It is rich in silica, which is promoted to help cleanse the digestive tract, support healthy digestion, kill parasites, and promote bone growth. So here’s to better gardens and health!

    Reply

    • lnielsen811@yahoo.com
      April 9, 2018 @ 6:39 pm

      Hi Peggy,

      Yes, the “don’t inhale it” part is what I don’t like. My family already struggles with lung issues so I’m not willing to take the chance. But I’m really glad to hear that you enjoy using it. I too have health nut friends who use it religiously and swear by it’s benefits. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Laura

      Reply

  7. Lisa
    April 9, 2018 @ 10:01 pm

    Place a flat piece of card board next to your squash plant and very early in the morning turn over the card board and voila they will be all there. That’s when the shop vac is handy. They are fast.

    Reply

    • lnielsen811@yahoo.com
      April 10, 2018 @ 10:41 pm

      What a great idea to put out a piece of cardboard. Yes, a shop vac would be very handy in this case…I totally agree, they are very fast! Thanks for sharing this great tip.

      Reply

  8. MaryJean
    May 17, 2018 @ 1:57 am

    I never had them like I did last year and it was in late July/August. I would see one or two around, sometimes in the house, but last year they just swarmed my windows in the back of the house. My son told me to mix Dawn with equal parts water and spray them. I had to do it from in the house so even though they were on the screen I have crank out windows and the windows got covered with soapy water, but it worked. I sure hope I don’t see a repeat this year. It was terrible! Thanks for the remedies you have used. I hope I don’t have to use them. BTW, I saw your post on Pinterest. I will be saving it.

    Reply

    • Laura Nielsen
      May 17, 2018 @ 3:41 am

      Oh my goodness, that sounds terrible, MaryJean! I’m so sorry you had to deal with such an infestation. I too hope you don’t have a repeat experience this year (I’ll keep my toes crossed for you). We had a similar situation last year but with earwigs…they were everywhere and coming inside our doors and vents and such. Nasty. I’m hoping they don’t show up again this year. Thanks for the Pinterest save! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Jennifer
    May 17, 2018 @ 5:44 pm

    We had them all over or zucchini until we let the chickens in the garden. Viola! No more bugs! We did lose a few zucchini to the chickens (they like their veggies with their protein), but zucchini are prolific so we didn’t mind sharing with the girls.

    Reply

    • Laura Nielsen
      May 18, 2018 @ 1:50 am

      I have heard that if you let chickens into a garden for a short time, they will eat the bugs first and then go for the plants. My chickens have always turned their beaks up at squash bugs but maybe I should try it again. Sounds like you found yourself a great solution! Glad it worked out for you (and yes, sacrificing a few zucchini sounds like a good trade to me). Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!

      Reply

  10. F Reeve
    May 18, 2019 @ 10:27 pm

    I echo what Peggy “Bug” says about DE. It is good for you provides silica. Yes, since it is microscopic fossils it can irritate. DE is also used as a natural flea killer mixed with Neem powder and another herb.

    Reply

    • Laura Nielsen
      July 29, 2019 @ 4:07 pm

      Thank you for sharing this information, F Reeve. Very helpful!

      Reply

  11. C D Greier
    June 28, 2019 @ 1:03 am

    Re: ‘ If I’m not willing to put something in my mouth, I’m certainly not willing to put it on my garden. No thanks. I’ll take the bugs instead.’
    A friend was commenting on blemish-free supermarket produce told us, ‘If it’s not good enough for bugs, why would I want to eat it?’ Good point .

    Reply

  12. MJ
    July 20, 2019 @ 11:55 pm

    My first year I planted squash I covered it with row covering to prevent the frost from killing the plants and spur on the growing – I didn’t have any problem with squash bugs and couldn’t pick my zucchini fast enough! The subsequent years I planted later in the year and didn’t cover the seeds/seedlings – and my plants were ravaged by squash bugs. I didn’t put two and two together until I was trying to find a solution to get rid of them and I found a bunch of blogs that said if you cover your seeds and seedlings you won’t get squash bugs since there is only one generation of squash bug a year and they “find” their garden in early spring. From now on, I’m covering my seeds and seedlings until early summer – works like a green house and you get great growth but also keep a lot of bug types away INCLUDING squash bugs. Maybe everyone knew this already, but it was new to me, and a great alternative to using sprays on my veggies.

    Reply

    • Laura Nielsen
      July 29, 2019 @ 4:11 pm

      Oh. My. Goodness, Marjana! THANK YOU for sharing this. I’m pretty sure you just saved my future gardens from squash bugs forever after. I’m totally going to try this next year. I’ve never thought about how they get on the plants to begin with and had not considered that they fly in. If you can prevent them from finding the plants, they will not be able to survive and reproduce. Brilliant!!! Thanks again for sharing your experience. Much appreciated!

      Reply

      • Janice Ross
        May 12, 2020 @ 11:26 am

        What is row covering? I had a terrible infestation of squash bugs last year so would like to try this. Thank you!

        Reply

        • Laura Nielsen
          May 21, 2020 @ 3:03 am

          Great question. Row covering is a very light landscape fabric that you place over your young plants while they are getting their growth started. It lets in sunlight and water but keeps the squash bugs from finding the plant. Because the fabric is so light, it “floats” on top of the growing leaves. Once the plants get larger, you can remove the row covering and it should eliminate or greatly reduce your squash bug problems! Let us know how it goes if you try it!!!

          Reply

  13. Sarah
    February 2, 2021 @ 4:02 pm

    Does DE kill earth worms? I’m interested in using it for earwigs and squash bugs, (which destroyed 20 beautiful tomato plants last year…growl), but I thought it was harmful to earth worms?

    Reply

    • Laura Nielsen
      February 2, 2021 @ 7:55 pm

      Hi Sarah, great question. I’m so sorry about your tomato plants. Sigh. I don’t personally use Diatomaceous Earth but from what I understand, it is basically crushed up fossils that create microscopic shards that cut soft-bodied bugs and insects. My guess would be that, yes, it damages earthworms. I would recommend using a paper collar around the bottom of your tomato plants and possibly using a floating row cover in the early spring (this tip was shared by a reader on this page…check up above!). Here are some articles I wrote on growing tomatoes that might help you.

      https://www.carrotgal.com/10-secrets-for-growing-prize-winning-tomatoes/
      https://www.carrotgal.com/tomatoes-preventing-hornworms/

      Gardening is definitely tricky and things don’t always work out. Having said that, I believe it is always worth trying again! I wish your garden all the best this coming year!!

      Reply

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