Zucchini Squash Vine Borer: Complete Treatment Guide

Zucchini Squash Vine Borer

What is Zucchini Squash Vine Borer?

Symptoms

  • Sudden plant wilting
  • Holes in stems with sawdust-like frass
  • Swollen or split stems
  • White grub-like larvae inside stems
  • Rapid plant collapse
  • Entry holes near stem base

What Causes Zucchini Squash Vine Borer?

  • Adult moth laying eggs
  • Larvae boring into stems
  • Previous infestation
  • Susceptible varieties
  • Early season planting
  • Nearby host plants

How to Treat Zucchini Squash Vine Borer

Organic Treatments

  • Remove larvae manually
  • Use beneficial nematodes
  • Apply Bacillus thuringiensis
  • Yellow sticky traps
  • Wrap stems with foil
  • Bury vine nodes

Chemical Treatments

  • Apply appropriate insecticide
  • Use preventive sprays
  • Treat stem base
  • Time applications with moth activity

Cultural Controls

  • Monitor for entry holes
  • Remove affected stems
  • Plant resistant varieties
  • Time plantings
  • Clean up plant debris
  • Crop rotation

How to Prevent Zucchini Squash Vine Borer

  • Use row covers
  • Monitor with pheromone traps
  • Late season planting
  • Physical barriers
  • Proper sanitation
  • Destroy infected stems

Recommended Fertilizers for Zucchini Squash Vine Borer