Protecting Squash and Pumpkins

[honeylemon]

Do beetles attack your pumpkins? Try to grow a row of sunflowers beside them and time it to bloom in advance to the pumpkins. Sunflowers will attract beetles because of their bright yellow color. Beetles will stay on the flowers and wont bother with your crops.

[Luna]

Squash and pumpkins are susceptible to the same diseases that cucumbers & melons have. One of these is the vine borer, an insect that resembles a wasp and lays reddish eggs at the base of these plants. The larvae blocks the flow of water to the rest of the plant.

As mentioned above, the color yellow is a strong anti-vine borer as the color attracts them. A test you can do is filling a small yellow dish or pan with water among the plants. If there are bugs, chances are you have these borers. I don't know what kind of pesticide would work best but you can ask your local garden.

Another method would be is to elevate your plants to protect them from soil-borne insects and diseases.

Be wary of mice and birds attacking your crop, as the rodents love to feast on the squash seeds. Instead of mousetraps, you can use those sticky paper to capture mice. As for birds, you can protect squash from them buy covering them with pantyhose. Sounds funny, but it works

[honeylemon]

I remember my neighbors laughing at their cabbages.. The husband said he wont eat them if they were covered with his wife’s pantyhose. LOL

[arianne]

Originally Posted by honeylemon

I remember my neighbors laughing at their cabbages.. The husband said he wont eat them if they were covered with his wife’s pantyhose. LOL

Haha, I can just imagine. It does sound funny, doesn't it? But then again, it's also practical.

Though I would've loved to see the guy's face when he first saw the cabbages. It probably's a riot!

[cococrab]

To protect melons, squash and pumpkins while they ripen, cover them with old milk crates.

[leeza09]

dudes i got many useful methods to safeguard my pumpkins and squash. i have been wondering how to stop the beetles.