Squash Vine Borer
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| Adult Squash Vine Borer Moth | Squash Vine Borer Grub |
The Squash Vine Borer is a big problem in Eastern Virginia. The adult moth lays its eggs on the stem of plants in the squash family. They are especially troublesome to yellow squash but they will also attack butternut squash and acorn squash. The moth lays its eggs from early June through August. It only takes a few days (9-14) for the eggs to hatch and the grub bores into the stem of the squash vine. Due to this short time frame, it is hard to catch the grubs (in egg state) before they bore into the stem. If the moth is detected, each plant should be inspected for eggs on the stem near the ground. If found, they should be removed and destroyed. Early signs of the grub are holes in the vine stem with some kind of material coming out the bore hole. If caught in time, the vine can be split open with a razor or a knife and the grub extracted. There can be multiple grubs in the same vine. If not caught in time the vine will turn yellow and die. Please see the following reference sites for control measures.
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