Sasha CampbellSquash bugs can be a serious problem for gardeners who grow squash and pumpkins.
Both adults and young squash bugs pierce leaves, stems, vines, and fruits to feed on plant sap. Their feeding first causes small pale spots on the leaves. As the damage gets worse, leaves may turn yellow or brown, wilt, and die. Young or weak plants may stop growing or die [1].
Squash bugs mainly attack squash and pumpkins. They may also feed on cucumbers, melons, gourds, and other plants in the cucurbit family. Summer and winter squash—including zucchini, marrow, butternut, and pumpkin—may need protection from this pest.
Early control matters because eggs can hatch into many young nymphs quickly.
If you want to get rid of squash bugs organically, begin checking your plants early. Removing eggs and young nymphs before their numbers grow will give you the best results.
How to Get Rid of Squash Bugs Naturally
Early action gives you the best chance of controlling these pests. Below are organic and nonchemical methods that can reduce their numbers and protect your plants.
1. Knock Them Into Soapy Water
Hold a bowl or bucket of soapy water under the affected leaves. Gently shake or tap the plant so the squash bugs fall into the water.
A spray of plain water may also knock some young nymphs off the plant. However, this method works best when followed by hand-picking because some bugs may climb back onto the plant.
2. Remove the Eggs
Removing eggs can greatly reduce the number of young squash bugs that hatch. Check your plants at least once or twice each week.
Squash bug eggs are shiny and copper, bronze, or reddish-brown. They are usually laid in small groups on the undersides of leaves, often near the leaf veins.
Lift them off with sticky tape, scrape them into soapy water, or remove the small part of the leaf holding the eggs. Keep checking because adult bugs may lay more eggs later.
3. Pick Them Off
Hand-picking may not be practical on a large farm, but it works well in small backyard gardens.
Check the plants every two or three days. Pick off adult bugs and nymphs, then drop them into a container of soapy water.
You can also wrap duct tape around your fingers, sticky side facing out. Gently press it against egg clusters and young nymphs to lift them from the leaves.
4. Use Row Covers
Cover young squash plants with floating row covers or fine insect netting before squash bugs arrive. Seal the edges with soil, boards, or landscape pins so bugs cannot crawl underneath.
Remove the floating row covers when the plants begin to flower so bees can pollinate them. Before removing the covers, check the plants for squash bugs and egg clusters.
Once the plants are flowering, inspect them often and use other control methods as needed.
5. Clean Up the Garden
Remove dead leaves, damaged vines, weeds, unused boards, and other debris where squash bugs can hide. At the end of the season, remove old squash and pumpkin vines soon after harvest.
Adult squash bugs spend the winter under plant debris and other protected materials. Cleaning the garden can reduce the number that survive until spring.
Thick mulch may also give adult squash bugs a place to hide. If an infestation is severe, pull heavy mulch away from the base of the plants.
6. Wooden Boards or Cardboard Traps
Squash bugs often hide under boards, cardboard, shingles, or other flat surfaces overnight.
So, place wooden boards or pieces of cardboard near your squash plants in the evening. Check underneath them early in the morning and remove any bugs that may be hiding there.
Drop the bugs into a container of soapy water to kill them.
7. Insecticidal Soap
Insecticidal soap can help control young squash bug nymphs when it is sprayed directly on them. It does not work well against adult squash bugs.
Use a product labeled for squash bugs or vegetable plants, and follow the label directions. Spray the undersides of leaves, where young nymphs often gather.
Do not spray during hot, sunny weather or when plants are dry and stressed. If the label recommends it, test the product on a small part of the plant first.
8. Rotate Your Crops
Avoid growing squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, or melons in the same spot every year [2]. Instead, move these crops to another part of the garden when possible.
Squash bugs may spend the winter near the previous year’s planting area. Moving your cucurbit crops farther away may make it harder for the adults to find the new plants.
Crop rotation works best when the new planting area is far enough from the old one. It may provide less protection in a very small garden.
9. Neem Oil
Neem oil may help control young squash bug nymphs when the spray touches them directly. It is much less effective against adult squash bugs.
Choose a neem product labeled for use on squash and follow its mixing and application directions. Spray the nymphs and the undersides of affected leaves. You may need more than one treatment.
Avoid spraying open flowers or applying the product while bees and other pollinators are visiting. Even natural pesticides can harm helpful insects when used incorrectly.
10. Grow a Trap Crop
A trap crop is a plant that attracts pests away from the crop you want to protect. Hubbard squash is highly attractive to squash bugs and can be planted as a trap crop [2].
Plant the trap crop near the edge of the garden before planting your main squash crop. Check it often for adult bugs, eggs, and nymphs.
Remove the bugs and eggs before they multiply. If the trap crop becomes heavily infested, remove and destroy it before the young bugs move to your main crop.
11. Diatomaceous Earth
Food-grade diatomaceous earth may help kill young squash bug nymphs that crawl through it. It is not usually dependable against adult squash bugs.
Apply a thin layer around the base of affected plants while the ground is dry. Avoid putting it on flowers or anywhere bees may land. Reapply it after rain or watering.
Do not breathe in the dust, and always follow the directions on the product label.
12. Horticultural Oil
Horticultural oil can help control young squash bug nymphs when it touches them directly. It does not work as well against adult squash bugs.
Choose a product labeled for use on squash or vegetable plants. Spray the nymphs and the undersides of affected leaves, following all directions on the label.
Do not apply horticultural oil during very hot weather or when plants are dry and stressed. Avoid spraying open flowers or using it while pollinators are active.
13. Companion Plants
Some gardeners plant marigolds, nasturtiums, dill, or catnip near squash in hopes of discouraging pests. However, there is little strong evidence that these plants reliably repel squash bugs.
Flowering plants may still be useful because they provide food and shelter for beneficial insects. Use companion plants as part of a larger garden plan, not as your only squash bug control.
14. Encourage Natural Predators
Squash bugs have several natural enemies.
The feather-legged tachinid fly lays an egg on an older squash bug nymph or adult. After the egg hatches, the young fly develops inside the squash bug and eventually kills it.
Damsel bugs, spiders, ground beetles, and other predators may also feed on squash bug eggs or nymphs.
Grow a mix of small flowering plants near the garden to provide nectar and pollen for beneficial insects. Avoid broad insecticide sprays because they may kill these helpful predators along with the pests.
15. Kaolin Clay
Kaolin clay is a fine white clay that forms a protective coating on plant surfaces. It does not poison squash bugs, but it may make treated plants harder for them to feed on or recognize.
Choose a kaolin clay product that is labeled for use on edible plants. Cover the stems and undersides of the leaves as directed on the label.
Rain and new plant growth may require another application.
16. Grow Less Susceptible Varieties
Some squash varieties are less likely to suffer heavy squash bug damage. Butternut and Royal Acorn are considered resistant. Sweet Cheese and Green Striped Cushaw are considered moderately resistant.
Yellow squash, Hubbard squash, and many pumpkins are highly susceptible and attractive to squash bugs. However, no variety is completely safe.
Check all squash plants often and remove any eggs, nymphs, or adults you find. Choosing a less susceptible variety gives your plants a better chance of staying healthy.
17. Monterey Bug Buster-O
Monterey Bug Buster-O contains pyrethrins, which kill insects on contact. It is OMRI listed for use in organic gardening when used according to its label.
Pyrethrins can also harm bees and other helpful insects. Do not spray open flowers or use the product while pollinators are active.
Spray only the affected areas and follow all label directions. The label explains how much to use, when to apply it, and how soon treated produce can be harvested.
FAQ
Will Epsom Salt Get Rid of Squash Bugs?
There is no strong evidence that Epsom salt kills or repels squash bugs.
Adding too much Epsom salt can also upset the soil’s nutrient balance. Use proven controls instead.
Does Vinegar Kill Squash Bugs?
Vinegar may kill some insects if it touches them directly, but it can also burn squash leaves and stems.
It is not a safe or dependable treatment for squash bugs. Do not spray vinegar on your plants.
Do Coffee Grounds Get Rid of Squash Bugs?
There is no strong evidence that coffee grounds or coffee sprays repel squash bugs. You can add coffee grounds to a compost pile in small amounts, but they should not be the main treatment for an infestation.
Takeaway
Adult squash bugs have flat, grayish-brown or dark brown bodies. Young nymphs are usually pale gray or greenish, with dark legs. Newly hatched nymphs may have reddish legs.
Do not identify the pest by color alone. Look for copper-colored egg clusters, groups of nymphs under leaves, pale spots on the foliage, and wilting vines.
Squash and pumpkins are their favorite hosts, but squash bugs may also feed on cucumbers, melons, gourds, and other cucurbits.
Check the undersides of leaves often. Remove eggs, nymphs, and adults as soon as you find them.
Row covers, garden cleanup, board traps, and careful use of labeled products can help keep squash bug numbers low.
The best way to get rid of squash bugs organically is to begin early and combine several methods throughout the growing season.
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