Crops Affected: Summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins. Rarely also cucumbers and melons.

States Affected: TX, OK, KS, NE, SD, ND, AR, MO, IA, MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, NY, NJ, DE, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH. ME, WV, MD, VA, KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, FL, LA, MS, AL

Life Cycle: Squash vine borer females lay around 250 flattened, dull-red to brown eggs individually on plants, leaf stalks, and vines. Detecting these eggs is difficult. After hatching, the caterpillars burrow into the plant base to feed. They may later spread throughout the plant and fruit. Pupation occurs in the soil, with one to two generations annually. Overwintering as mature larvae or brown pupae, they hide in the soil within a sturdy, dark silken cocoon, about 3/4 inch long. Adults emerge in June and July after the overwintering larvae undergo pupation in spring.

Damage: Affected squash plants may display sudden wilting and death of one or more vine runners. The caterpillars' feeding behavior negatively impacts the plant's strength and yield, and severe infestations can lead to plant death. Additionally, damage makes the plants susceptible to secondary infections. In home plantings, infested vines are frequently girdled, resulting in their complete decay and death.

Season to Trap: May to July

How To Use: Set out traps when transplanting squash or when direct seeded squash have their secondary leaves. Early detection and trapping adults before they can mate is essential for this pest. Hang trap with lure inside at shoulder height near at risk or affected crops. Replace lures every 30 days through the season, and replace traps when 70% saturated. Adult males are attracted to the pheromones in the lure and the color of the traps in this kit. Once they land on the sticky trap, they become ensnared, never to mate or lay eggs again.

Additional IPM Solutions: Avoid practices that destroy or disrupt native beneficial insects. Select borer-resistant plant varieties. Consider using row covers, but this will require hand-pollination. Conduct visual inspections every 3-5 days, removing any discovered eggs promptly. Bury a few nodes along each vine to encourage rooting and reduce the impact of potential infestations at the vine's base. Turn the soil in both fall and spring and practice succession planting. Beneficial nematodes can be effective against overwintering larvae. Implement field sanitation by destroying infected vines (avoid composting them). If necessary, use insecticides at the appropriate time to target the newly-hatched larvae before they move inside the vine.