Summer and Zucchini Squash, Yum!

OK, folks I learned me something new once again this gardening year, not that I proclaim to know everything mind you. Plus learning good!

Can you identify the above worm, hmmm?

Well, before I reveal the answer let me start this here posting by recounting some of the events leading up to the discovery -

I was a perdy July afternoon and I just finished building our new veggie bed to grow our summer and zucchini squash, see below, and getting the plants in the ground.



Well, about a month later (mid August-ish), after we'd picked some wonderful, tasty squash, the plants started to wilt and didn't look too good. We also noticed that some of the smaller, yet ripe squash was rotting from the ends, hmmmm. I thought perhaps that it was due to and a result of the crazy hot and humid weather we were having at the time and that I wasn't watering them enough, nope.

We did get some additional squash but something was wrong and it wasn't the weather or lack of watering. It wasn't until the end of the month when I made the decision to yank the plants that the mystery was solved.

When I pulled the first plant out, of course I grabbed it by the stem at the base of the plant, it was rotted and well yucky. Upon closer inspection when I slit the stem along the rotted, yucky area with a knife (keep in mind squash plants, pumpkin plants, etc are somewhat hollow), and WHA-LA the above worm and several others were inside.

Turns out this little guy is known as a Squash Vine Borer. Interestingly, often the first symptom of a borer attack is the wilting of affected plants. Wilting may occur only in strong sun at first. This is exactly what we were seeing. These pests were in most of the plants I pulled. I gathered as many of the worms as I could find and feed them to the chickens and as always they devoured them. I then bagged the plants and disposed of in our trash. I didn't want to take any chances and risk mixing these plants in the compost for fear of having missed some of the worm and having them hang around. Not quite sure how to handle this problem next year, as it sounds like these pests are difficult to deal with and rid but I have all winter to ponder my approach.

Till next year, happy tilling...