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A small utility knife and tweezers, or other fine tools, may be used to gently cut open the stem and try to extract the larva. Look for a hole in the stem with frass coming out of it. The larva is usually several inches above that point. If this is done in a gentle enough way, and before the moth has
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protruding from small holes, which is an indicator of the presence of the larva inside. Some gardeners carefully cut the stem along its axis and remove the caterpillar before it ruins the vine. Others use a stiff wire, a needle, or a toothpick to kill the borer without seriously injuring the vine.
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because of its movements, and the bright orange hind leg scales. The females typically lay their eggs at the base of leaf stalks, and the caterpillars develop and feed inside the stalk, eventually killing the leaf. They soon migrate to the main stem, and with enough feeding damage to the stem, the
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Once larvae are present within the stems, control must be quick. Often, the first noticed sign of the infestation is wilting of the vine, and it is too late for control efforts at that point. Experienced gardeners watch the stems for signs of
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Pesticides are ineffective after the larvae are inside the plant. Gardeners find this a difficult pest to combat. Some try to avoid the pest by timing the production season to harvest before the pests can build up, or after they have peaked.
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is to cover the vine with earth at various points along its length, inducing rooting at several points, thereby continuing to feed the developing fruit despite the loss of the original stem. However, this only works with the species
278:) bacteria may be injected into the base of the stem using a syringe, to attempt to kill the larvae, ideally while still small. It should be done sometime after the first flowers start to show and possibly again after a few weeks.
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to prevent egg laying, which generally occurs within a couple of inches from the point where the stem emerges from the soil. Row covers can be used up until bloom. An old gardener trick for vining squash and pumpkin
241:, zucchini, pumpkin, and acorn squash. The squash vine borer is native to North America, with some reports as far south as Brazil and Argentina. It lives in most temperate North American states, except the
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caused extensive damage, the exposed stem may be covered with soil, allowing the plant to re-establish roots higher up on the stem, and the plant may be saved.
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on the stem of a squash plant is the first symptom of infestation. The second symptom follows soon - the death of the plant.
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The following organic methods of control are quite manual and may only apply to small-scale or home gardeners. BT (
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Prevention includes pesticides to kill the adult moth (such use must not contaminate the flowers, as
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entire plant may die. For this reason, it is considered a pest that attacks cultivated varieties of
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Organic controls include wrapping the lower stem with
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395:Another detail shot of borer in a zucchini stem
517:"Squash Vine Borer Management in Home Gardens"
474:"Biology and Management of Squash Vine Borer"
245:. Southern states have two broods a year.
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451:"Checklist of the Sesiidae of the World"
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228:moth. The moth is often mistaken for a
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519:. University of Minnesota – Extension
478:Journal of Integrated Pest Management
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453:. Sesiidae. July 14, 2014
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39:Scientific classification
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764:Moths described in 1828
182:Melittia satyriniformis
472:Kuhar, Thomas (2018).
275:Bacillus thuringiensis
575:Melittia-cucurbitae
549:Melittia cucurbitae
491:10.1093/jipm/pmy012
431:Melittia cucurbitae
217:Melittia cucurbitae
148:Melittia cucurbitae
302:Cucurbita moschata
193:(Westwood, 1848)
174:Aegeria cucurbitae
130:M. cucurbitae
24:Squash vine borer
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726:Open Tree of Life
541:Taxon identifiers
212:squash vine borer
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201:(Edwards, 1882)
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190:Trochilium ceto
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523:November 11,
521:. Retrieved
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185:(Hübner, )
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700:NatureServe
661:iNaturalist
259:pollinators
224:species of
96:Lepidoptera
748:Categories
497:2022-07-14
484:(1): 1–8.
437:References
359:Life cycle
76:Arthropoda
296:cultivars
124:Species:
62:Kingdom:
56:Eukaryota
754:Sesiidae
705:2.745608
687:LepIndex
679:10859035
596:BugGuide
572:BAMONA:
558:Wikidata
165:Synonyms
117:Melittia
106:Sesiidae
102:Family:
72:Phylum:
66:Animalia
52:Domain:
653:1941156
564:Q148309
331:Often,
318:Gallery
249:Control
222:diurnal
220:) is a
158:, 1828)
112:Genus:
92:Order:
86:Insecta
82:Class:
731:485186
718:655047
692:118320
666:133346
640:MELTCU
627:948881
383:Damage
267:pollen
263:nectar
239:squash
226:sesiid
156:Harris
674:IRMNG
614:3ZKW7
601:11810
588:86525
419:Adult
407:Adult
371:Larva
333:frass
311:frass
713:NCBI
648:GBIF
635:EPPO
583:BOLD
525:2014
459:2014
234:wasp
210:The
622:EoL
609:CoL
486:doi
289:or
265:or
232:or
230:bee
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506:^
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482:9
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214:(
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