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  • From: bcluton AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] squash bug control
  • Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:09:37 -0500

I'd 2nd the info that's been passed along.  Foundation of good soil principles, plant protection (physical barriers, etc.), multiple plantings (and be sure to till under the old, if you do a few successions a year you can kill the previous planting while the next is still under cover this means most squash bugs will be in the previous planting and you'll begin to control long term populations this way.)  If you're going to spray to control at some point you have to target either the eggs and/or the nymphs there is no good way to kill the adults.(other than squashing a few here and there)  

A great deal of the problem with squash bugs and cucumber beetles for that matter is the fact that they spread various diseases which either kill the plant or reduce quality substantially.  I've adjusted varieties to meet this and have found our best overall summer squash by a mile is Zephyr.(available from Johnny's)

The last tidbit of interesting observation I've noted.  We've started to notice a fair number of adult squash bugs on our farm have eggs of some sort laid on their back.  I haven't yet discovered what is preying on them but we have noticed an increase in eggs and a decrease in Squash Bug over time.  This likely has a good deal to do with the integrated practices above and this mystery beneficial.....

Brian


-----Original Message-----
From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thu, Nov 5, 2009 10:55 am
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] squash bug control



On Nov 5, 2009, at 10:15 AM, <<clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com> wrote:


<excerpt>I went to the OMRI website and looked for Diatect, but could
not find it.

Go to omri.org


</excerpt>Not everything permissible is listed with OMRI. Apparently
listing with them is expensive. If all the ingredients are on the
generic list, the item should be OK anyway.


While it may be difficult or impossible for the individual grower to
find out what all the ingredients are ("inert" ingredients are only
inert in the specific technical sense of not claiming to do anything
to the targeted pest, and may indeed pose a problem otherwise, but
they're rarely listed on the label), there are others besides OMRI who
check ingredients. Johnny's says the Diatect is listed with Washington
State Department of Agriculture as acceptable for certified organic
use.


Whether or not it's on the OMRI list, or any other list, always check
with your certifier before use of any input, if you're certified; not
all certifiers accept all listings without checking the items
themselves, and such use for pesticides is in any case supposed to be
part of your overall farm plan, not a first and only resort (so the
certifier might not allow use if it doesn't approve your overall plan
for controlling that pest). Andy said he wasn't certified; if I were a
home gardener or a non-certified market grower, I personally would
consider that something approvable by WSDA, MOGFA, NOFA, etc. was
acceptable, as well as something on the OMRI list.


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

Fresh-market organic produce, small scale</smaller>
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