A new Squash Vine Borer treatment to control Squash Vine Borers and keep them from eating your squash plants. Squash Borers live inside your squash plant and eat the plant from the inside out until you have a dead squash plant. Are your Zucchini plants dying? Summer Squash too? The culprit is likely the borer. Here's a video how to on a new squash vine borer treatment that uses Bt.
Many times I hear of people who walk into their vegetable garden and find all their squash plants wilting and yellowing. Check the base of the stem, where it enters the soil. If you see this orange frass that looks like wet sawdust like in the photo below, you have squash vine borers in your plants. If left untreated, there's a good chance you will lose the squash.
Orange frass at base of stem, a sure sign of squash vine borer infestation
How this squash vine borer treatment works
In this video we are using Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki . This is a naturally occurring organism that, once it enters the gut of the borer, causes it to stop eating. Bt is considered an organic treatment, allowed by the OMRI ( Organic Materials Review Institute )
The adult moth of the borer lays its eggs in the soil at the base of the squash plant, then the eggs hatch and the borer chews a hole in your squash plant, enters the stem and starts eating. The Bt is injected into the stem of the squash plant at several intervals. The goal here is to get the borer to ingest some of the Bt, so you want to inject the Bt in front of where the borer is currently chewing. Watch the video for how to do this.
This Bt is not to be confused with GMO BT, which has been genetically spliced into plants. This is a naturally occurring organism that we are harnessing to kill caterpillars. Below are our other videos on how to prevent squash vine borers, let us know any suggestions or comments below:
Squash Vine Borer Treatment method #2
Squash Vine Borer Prevention and Treatment method #1
Check out our Squash Recipes Here
Peter
Thanks for the Squash Vine Borer information. A couple of my squash plants turned yellow and died rather quickly but I didn't know why (first time growing them). Now, thanks to you, I do and I know how to treat for them. If only I can figure out how to keep the squirrels from stealing my tomatoes.
Pat
I have just looked at you show on dandelion salad. You could use the whole plant roots and all. Simply wash the roots, roast them in the oven - when you are baking something else - then grind them in the coffee grinder, it makes superb coffee.
Michael Edwards
Thank you very easy to understand ,I think I have one ,and I will try your solution if I find I have another I will try injection w/BT
Cyndie Margolis
I watched you video on prevention and treatment of the squash vine borer #3. On the Safer Label it says "How to Use it: Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of Caterpillar Killer per gallon of water. Repeat as necessary up to day of harvest." Is this the ratio you used for injecting the squash vine with?
Eric Gunnar Rochow
i mixed it a little stronger than that, but still used very dilute mixture. thx! eric.
Fred Holley
Injecting with BT, can you inject a healthy plant in hopes of preventing this? What about beneficial nematodes? Do they work? I even let the planting area be barren for a year to no avail. Thanks
Eric Gunnar Rochow
It can't hurt to try this with a healthy plant, I think. The moth lays its eggs and and the larvae penetrate the plants quickly, so letting the field bare for a year doesn't help, I think. thx! eric.
Shae
Stick the bug with a sewing pin through the vine and leave the pin for a few days. Done.