Our family has been enjoying our garden all summer long. Recently we have noticed that some of our squash plants have been attacked by vine borers. We live in an area where climate changes so it is possible that squash vine bores are not an uncommon problem. Thankfully, we have found the best way to deal with these pests. I will try to explain how we got rid of them and what else you can do if they attack your plants. Ask any garden center and you’ll be told the same thing “there’s no insecticide that will exterminate squash vine borers.” While it is true that squash vine borers are a troublesome pest, there are a few products that, in my experience, will kill them. If you have squash vine borers on your property, and you’re looking for best insecticide please be careful.   There are many pesticides you can use to kill insects, but ONLY a limited few will actually work. Pesticides like Carbaryl and Malathion sound good when searching for a solution to squash vine borer infestations, but it can be expensive, and could even potentially damage your plants after repeated use. You don’t want these harmful pesticides anywhere near your vegetable dome when cultivating healthy food safely!

Best Insecticide For Squash Vine Borers

Introduction

Squash vine borers are an insect pest that attacks the squash, gourd, cucumber, pumpkin and melon genus of plants. Typically found in the country’s midwest and east coast areas, these reddish-orange winged beetles lay their eggs at the base of host plant stems. When hatched, squash vine borer larvae burrow through to the interior of the plant’s stems and create a long tunnel that can kill the plant.

There are several different types of commercial chemicals available in both organic and standard formulas to control squash vine borers. Because this pest can be difficult to get rid of completely once it has established itself on your plants, I like to use a combination approach that starts with prevention and moves on to chemical control if necessary. Prevention methods include using row covers over your plants early in the season before adult beetles have emerged from pupae form (and thus can’t get at your plants), or you can try trapping beetles before they lay eggs by using store bought yellow sticky traps. If you find holes in your squash vines with sawdust piles below them, or you see larvae inside your vines when you cut across them, it may be time for chemical controls such as insecticides designed specifically for squash vine borers (please note: I am not affiliated with any specific brand linked here).

Spinosad

Spinosad is a natural insecticide derived from a soil bacteria. It’s effective against squash vine borers and other chewing insects, including caterpillars, beetles and moths.

Spinosad works by affecting an insect’s nervous system in much the same way that nicotine does in humans. It’s considered safe for use on bees and butterflies because it doesn’t kill them directly; instead, it causes paralysis by attacking their nerve cells. If you’re concerned about harming beneficial insects like bees or butterflies with spinosad, choose another option for treating your squash plants (such as Bacillus thuringiensis).

Spinosad is not recommended for use during flowering or fruiting because it can have toxic effects on pollinators if they come into contact with treated plants at any time after application has occurred.

Neem Oil

Neem oil is a natural pesticide derived from the neem tree, which is native to India. It acts as a contact pesticide and insecticide that kills squash vine borers by poisoning them. Neem oil also prevents eggs from hatching and larvae from developing into adult insects. It also works as a fungicide in gardens where fungi may be present such as potato or tomato plants; however, it has not been proven effective against powdery mildew on squash plants or other vegetables because it does not get absorbed into the plant’s tissues like traditional fungicides do. Neem oil must come into direct contact with the insect to be effective so you’ll need to spray your plants thoroughly with it every few days for at least two weeks straight if you want to see results!

Pyrethrin

Pyrethrin is an organic compound derived from chrysanthemum flowers that has been found to be highly effective against squash vine borer. It must come into direct contact with the insect to work, however, so you need to spray it directly onto the vine borers in order for it to have full effect.

Sevin

Sevin is a contact insecticide that kills squash vine borers in their larval stage. It’s safe for humans, pets and environment. It has the ability to penetrate plants and reach into the soil where it can kill larvae before they cause damage. Sevin can be used on vegetables, flowers and trees—including squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons and potatoes. The active ingredient in Sevin is Carbaryl which kills insects by disrupting their nervous system.

Bacillus Thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium that is used as an insecticide. This naturally occurring bacterium produces toxic proteins that are specific to the gut of many insects, including squash vine borers. The toxin produced by Bt disrupts digestion and kills the insect.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a naturally occurring soil bacterium (a type of bacteria). Because it occurs naturally in soil around us, it’s safe for humans and animals to be exposed to it on rare occasions when they eat some dirt or get it in their eyes when working around plants treated with Bt spray.

The most effective way to control squash vine borer is to prevent the spread of the beetles, and to trap adult beetles before they can lay eggs on your vines.

If you’re set on controlling squash vine borer, there are a few methods available. The most effective way to control squash vine borer is to prevent the spread of the beetles and trap adult beetles before they can lay eggs on your vines. The following methods work best in combination with each other:

• Use a trap to catch adult beetles that are flying around your garden.
• Spray the vines with a targeted insecticide such as Imidacloprid or Acephate (which are systemic insecticides). These can be used if you have only seen one or two adults so far this season, but do not want to spray all of your plants.
• Spray both sides of every leaf with an oil-based insecticide like Neem Oil, which will smother any larvae that might be present on leaves and stems (but does not kill adults). This method should be combined with another treatment method for best results; otherwise pests may build up resistance over time!

Conclusion

We hope this information will help you choose the best insecticide for your needs. If you want to stick with a natural solution, Neem oil is an excellent choice. Spinosad and Bacillus Thuringiensis are also effective, although they are not as safe for beneficial insects as Neem oil is. You should use these only in areas where you don’t see many bees or other beneficial insects on your garden plants, such as around the edges of your property where it meets wooded areas.