Heres how to get rid of these destructive pests of squash and pumpkins.
These destructive pests can lay waste to an entire patch of squash in short order.
“The larval stage of the species is a pest on members of the cucurbit plant family.”
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They kill nearly every plant they infest.
The abdomen has black spots with metallic to black forewings and clear hind wings.
Theyre active during the daytime, especially the morning, says Khan.
What youre actually more likely to notice, however, is the resulting damage resulting from these pests.
This causes plants to wilt or yellow suddenly and die.
The borer injury also weakens plants and provides an opportunity for secondary pathogens to infect the plant.
The plant itself may be completely girdled.
You also may see the borer, which looks like a creamy white grub with a brown head.
After hatching within a week, the larvae bore inside plant stems within a few hours, says Khan.
The insect overwinters as a late-stage larvae or pupae in the top inch or two of soil.
