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  • From: "Bill Bradshaw" <billbradshaw AT hughes.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Squash bug control
  • Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:09:56 -0500

Ben, I hear Ya Man. Not only that, but the bugs are already there. They have just been run through the bird. Bill In Texas


----- Original Message ----- From: "Wiener, Benjamin L CPT NG NG FORSCOM" <benjamin.l.wiener AT us.army.mil>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Cc: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 12:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Squash bug control


One of the reasons I will never be certified organic is the sheer stupidity of some of the rules. If guinea fowl cannot be used because of the tiny ammount of droppings they would leave, then what do organic growers do to exclude wild birds that already deposit droppings in the field? There is a huge difference in quantity between applying manure for fertility and using a natural method of bug control. You can't even use manure from animals that recieve adequate veterinary care. What a bunch of BS (pun intended).

Ben Wiener

(Guinea fowl actually probably wouldn't meet current organic
standards:
they'd be depositing fresh manure in the field, and to do the job
they'd probably have to be in there within the 120 days before
harvest
-- fresh manure can't be applied within 120 days of harvest of a
crop
for human consumption if the part of the plant for consumption can
touch the ground. You could put them in the field after harvest to
clean up, of course; that might reduce next year's pest pressure
significantly.)

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale


On Oct 31, 2009, at 9:27 AM, Diane Kunkel wrote:


<Hi, Do any of you use Guinea Fowl for squash bug control?
I've almost

given up on squash & pumpkins. Or are there any organic controls for

these little devils? Thanks, Andy zone 5-6 Wenatchee, WA


<

I've found a lot of varietal difference in susceptibility to squash
bugs -- in particular, I've found buttercups and kabocha types (of
various varieties) to be much more susceptible to them than acorn,
delicata/sweet dumpling, and butternut types. I haven't researched
other organic controls -- I think there are some -- because I rarely
have significant problems with the resistant types.


On the other hand, I've never had much problem with squash bugs in
pumpkins; so it's possible our squash bugs don't have the same tastes
as yours.


(Guinea fowl actually probably wouldn't meet current organic
standards: they'd be depositing fresh manure in the field, and to do
the job they'd probably have to be in there within the 120 days before
harvest -- fresh manure can't be applied within 120 days of harvest of
a crop for human consumption if the part of the plant for consumption
can touch the ground. You could put them in the field after harvest to
clean up, of course; that might reduce next year's pest pressure
significantly.)


<-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly

Fresh-market organic produce, small scale<
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