They're baaack! Squash bugs. How do I know? I found their eggs on the backs of some of my zucchini leaves.
Typically, squash bugs begin arriving in the garden around mid June and attack all cucurbit crops (squash, cucumber, pumpkin, etc). However, in my garden, squash bugs show a strong preference for zucchini.
Squash bugs are often mistaken for stink bugs; however, squash bugs have a slightly longer and leaner body. (I find that squash bugs smell like bubble gum when squished, rather than skunk.) Both insects are equally annoying and difficult to get rid of from the garden.
As soon as they begin to feed, squash bugs start laying eggs, which are found
primarily on the undersides of leaves, between veins of the squash plant. The eggs are brown, oval shaped, and often seen in groups of 10 or more.
The larvae hatch about 2 weeks after eggs are first laid. The larvae morph into nymphs that are light gray in color with black legs. The nymphs feed in groups until they mature into adults (5-6 weeks later).
Leaves and fruits become speckled with sunken puncture wounds from where the squash bugs (nymphs and adults) sucked the sap from the plants. Eventually the feeding will cause enough damage that the plant will wither and die.
The adult squash bug spends most of their time hiding around the base plant and on the underside of leaves. This, and the fact that squash bugs disperse quickly when disturbed, make it difficult to control squash bugs. Thus, early detection of the squash bug eggs is the key to minimizing damage to the plant. Once I find the eggs, I squish them with the back of my fingernail. This helps to reduce the number of adult squash bugs I find later in my garden.
This year I planted zucchini late in the season (mid-July) to try to avoid a major infestation of squash bugs. This seemed to work, so I will do it again next year.
Typically, squash bugs begin arriving in the garden around mid June and attack all cucurbit crops (squash, cucumber, pumpkin, etc). However, in my garden, squash bugs show a strong preference for zucchini.
Squash bugs are often mistaken for stink bugs; however, squash bugs have a slightly longer and leaner body. (I find that squash bugs smell like bubble gum when squished, rather than skunk.) Both insects are equally annoying and difficult to get rid of from the garden.
As soon as they begin to feed, squash bugs start laying eggs, which are found
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| Squash bug eggs |
The larvae hatch about 2 weeks after eggs are first laid. The larvae morph into nymphs that are light gray in color with black legs. The nymphs feed in groups until they mature into adults (5-6 weeks later).
Leaves and fruits become speckled with sunken puncture wounds from where the squash bugs (nymphs and adults) sucked the sap from the plants. Eventually the feeding will cause enough damage that the plant will wither and die.
The adult squash bug spends most of their time hiding around the base plant and on the underside of leaves. This, and the fact that squash bugs disperse quickly when disturbed, make it difficult to control squash bugs. Thus, early detection of the squash bug eggs is the key to minimizing damage to the plant. Once I find the eggs, I squish them with the back of my fingernail. This helps to reduce the number of adult squash bugs I find later in my garden.
This year I planted zucchini late in the season (mid-July) to try to avoid a major infestation of squash bugs. This seemed to work, so I will do it again next year.
I found something that looked like these eggs on the underside of the leaves of my tomato plants. But when I went to squish them as you suggested, they started moving and then I saw little legs on them. I gave them to my husband to dispose of.
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