07/01/2023
Fun Fact Friday!
Staff member Kevin spotted this Squash Vine Borer at Lost Creek Reserve today but it's not really what you want to see near your gardens.
The moth is often mistaken for a bee or wasp because of its movements, and the bright orange hind leg scales. The females typically lay eggs at the base of leaf stalks, and the caterpillars develop and feed inside the stalk, eventually killing the leaf. They soon migrate to the main stem, and with enough feeding damage to the stem, the entire plant may die. For this reason, it is considered a pest that attacks cultivated varieties of squash, zucchini, pumpkin, and acorn squash. The squash vine borer is native to North America.
What repels squash vine borers?
These pests do not like the scent of certain plants. These include borers include mint, basil, onion, and parsley. So, planting these in your garden will help keep SVB away from your squash plants. Additionally, radish repels them.
Borer moths lay eggs mostly at the base of pumpkin and squash plants starting in late June and going through the first few weeks of July.
