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Ypsilanti Michigan

In covering my vines will this keep the SVB's from killing my vines? I been swating them whenever I can. I find them resting on the leaves and I sneak up on them and give my hands a good clap.

6/21/2004 8:04:00 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

What you are seeing is the Adult Squash Vine Borer Moth, look closely under the leaves for red masses of eggs. Burying the vine helps although it is not a sure thing.

6/21/2004 9:39:50 AM

Pulaski Tn [email protected]

you had better stop slapping and start spraying some sort of systemic pesticide...

6/21/2004 11:05:08 AM

Ypsilanti Michigan

What should I use since I can't find seven? Could I use dust that I used on my taters?

6/21/2004 4:03:45 PM

Pulaski Tn [email protected]

you probably need to cough up about $45.00 - $50.00 and buy some merit...i though i lived out in the sticks..but...you cant find sevin ???? i think that is the first time i have ever heard of that...

6/21/2004 5:21:14 PM

northern indiana

I used triazicide last yr and had no svb dammage that I could tell. It is not systemic though. You have to carefully spray the underside of leaves and stems about once every 10 days (I think, read the package to be sure). The eggs are laid single and look like tiny flecks of red pepper. Don't even think of playing with these bugs they will put an end to your season. Triazicide is cheap, only about 10 bucks a quart at lowes and that is way more than you will use in a season on your garden. It uses the same chemical as warrior T only in a much lower concentration. Merit is way better as it is systemic but takes time to be absorbed, for pumpkins sake do something! maybe tremor will chyme in and you will be getting advice from a true pro.
Eric

6/21/2004 8:21:16 PM

[email protected]

Wow. Thanks Eric. LOL

We use both Merit & a contact like Triazicide. Overkill by some standards. But SVB will end the entire season if left unchecked.

6/21/2004 9:34:07 PM

Pulaski Tn [email protected]

aint it nice to have some one on here like tremor who knows every damn thang....hehe..he just wishes he lived in Tennessee........

6/21/2004 9:59:56 PM

No Place Special

I used scimitar and Merit last year based on Tremors advise and it worked perfectly for me. So far so good this year also. Just tonight i found two dead SVB moths on the same leaf. I believe the combination of systemicand contact is the way to go. I agree, Tremor is a VERY nice and helpful guy to have around!

6/22/2004 10:44:46 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

The borers can still enter the vine via the leaf stems so while burying the vines will help some they still have a way to get in, also most borer eggs are laid one at time as opposed to in groups or clusters.
Glenn

6/23/2004 8:01:16 AM

Commack, NY

How does merit affect the soil that we work so hard to fine tune? tremor? doc?

6/23/2004 8:54:42 AM

Ypsilanti Michigan

Could I spray something on the leaf stems to kill the eggs?

6/23/2004 12:00:52 PM

[email protected]

Merit is considered low on the soil impact scale as far as worms & known beneficial bacteria are concerned. There are some Arthropods (Centipedes, Ground Beetles, Millipedes) that will succumb. Though it's been my experience the populations bounce back to normal within 2-3 weeks. Sow Bugs don't seem to mind Merit for some reason. Moist of these arthropods only inhabit messy patches & woods anyway. They really can't hang in the full sun & weed free conditions we maintain in our patches.

I had massive Earthworms devouring Peat Moss, Leaves & Coffee grounds the very day after treating with Merit this year. I saw ZERO dead worms. To suggest they died underground might seem plausible but that the casting piles remained every bit as numerous. Many more dead worms show up after a heavy rain or an average tilling.

Lambda-cyhalothrin I have not investigated specifically for soil impact. But in general, all the synthetic pyrethroids are considered fairly soft on soils. Plus when applied properly most of the material stays on vines, stems & leaves.

Eggs after being laid will not be impacted by conventional insecticides. They can be physically removed or suffocated with Soaps or Superior Horticulture Oils if the temperature allows. Otherwise we must wait for them to hatch & eat. Then we get them with Imidacloprid (Merit, Admire, Provado, Gaucho, Marathon, Bayer Tree & Shrub, whatever).

6/23/2004 7:18:14 PM