Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Hated Squash Vine Borer Moth
By: Tom Berg
Early last summer I was watering plants in my vegetable garden when I saw an interesting insect sitting on the leaf of a nearby flower. It looked a bit like a moth, but it was unlike any I had ever seen before. It was black and reddish-orange in color, with black antennae that looked like some moths I’ve seen in the past. I collected moths in my youth, so I took some photos to help me identify it online.
A quick internet search revealed it was a squash vine borer moth. Oh, no!! This insect is hated by gardeners everywhere! And the flower it was resting on was only five feet away from my zucchini squash patch! No wonder it was there! I ran back outside to try and catch it, but it was already gone. In the future I will watch for them and catch them if I can!
Squash vine borer moths, called SVB for short, usually appear in the Midwest where I live in late-June or early July, and they are despised by anyone who grows squash plants like zucchini. The adult moths lay eggs on the main vine stem of squash plants, and the larvae that hatch bore into the stem and develop inside it. As they grow, they block the flow of water and nutrients to the rest of the plant and the plant often dies.
How do you prevent SVB from attacking your plants? Chemical insecticides are effective, but I don’t like to use them. Planting certain flowers like marigolds and nasturtiums can also be effective in repelling these moths, and other plants like onion, basil, mint and parsley are known to deter SVB, too. The flowers look great and the herbs can be eaten! You can also wrap the stems of your plants with tinfoil to keep the larvae from boring into them.
Another way to avoid squash vine borer moths is to wait and start your squash plants after the insects are done laying their eggs. Waiting until late July is often safe enough, since SVB have only one brood per year. The only problem with that is it leaves less time for you to harvest your crop before fall!
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