If squash bugs or cucumber beetles have been a problem in your garden, you might be interested in helping the folks at Mother Earth News try out a new method for dealing with the little pains in the butternuts. I got an email the other day outlining the method and asking readers to try it out and report back about how well it worked in their garden.
The method is based on a study released a few years ago that found that if you plant an early trap crop, the beetles that have overwintered will flock to them. The authors of the study recommended placing a board on the ground near the plants. The beetles would hide under the board, and if you take the time to squish them daily, you'll eliminate 90% of your squash bug or cucumber beetle problem.
So the folks at Mother Earth News want to try the trap crop theory, but they've designed their own special alternative to using a plain board for the beetles to hide beneath. Instead, they recommend connecting two boards together with a hinge, making a handy beetle squisher.
For more details, as well as plans for the bug squisher, check out the Mother Earth News site.
Comments
This was really helpful and I’m going to try it. I can’t begin to count all the squash bugs we picked last year, and we didn’t even make a dent.