How to Remove Squash Bugs and Their Eggs Without Damaging Your Plants

Squash bugs are nasty little critters that wreak absolute havoc in your garden.

As their name implies, they love all types of winter and summer squash including zucchini and pumpkins.

But, occasionally you may find them on other cucurbits too.

Squash bugs will make a feast of all of your plants.

Their mouth pierces and sucks the sap out of the leaves causing them to yellow and eventually brown.

Brown leaves = dead leaves.

Too many dead leaves = dead plant.

Young vulnerable plants may wilt and die from a squash bug’s damage; however, sturdier plants may be more tolerant and be able to make a come back.

Here’s how to remove them:

1. Take a strip of duct tape and wrap it around three fingers just once with the sticky side facing out. You can use any tape you have on hand. I use Gorilla Duct Tape because I always have plenty of that and it works really well.
   
2. Pick up the eggs and bugs with the tape. They will stick to the tape and leave the plant without any damage.
   
3. Continue until all the eggs are removed.
   
4. Check under all the leaves – this is their favorite laying spot. (I’ve even found some attached to the stem of the plant before so be sure to check there too.)
   
5. Discard the tape preferably in an outside garbage. You don’t want those eggs hatching in your house. Yuck!

Check carefully and often.

Squash bug eggs take about 10 days to hatch, but I recommend check your plants daily or every other day to keep the population down. They really do pop up quickly!

Do you have a problem with squash bugs in your garden?

Share your garden with me on Instagram!

Mention @thehomesteadmother or hashtag it #onceuponaomestead

Until next time