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Bloomington, IN

Is there a limit to how many times you can cut into the vine to remove borers before it starts to take a toll on the plant? Any help would be greatly appreciated as it seems I've had to perform a ton of surgeries to control these things.

8/4/2008 1:22:21 AM

Columbus,ohio

I read of a grower in new england who whould just needle the little guy and leave them in there

8/4/2008 2:50:36 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

they usually can be fished out using a small hooked wire or pointed stick like a toothpick, i have also removed them usuing a blast of water from a hose, forces them right out.

Glenn

8/4/2008 8:27:07 AM

[email protected]

You can use a sewing needle and it works great on maintaining structure of the vine, without doing too much damage. Unless of course you have multiples in one area. We did surgery on one of my plants last year on the main vine crown and it did do some damage, but, worked fairly well. Look at my diary from 2007. Shows the severity of the damage, and it did last the season. The pumpkin didnt survive but the plant did. Good luck.

8/4/2008 9:00:47 AM

[email protected]

and of course make sure it's clean before and after usage.

8/4/2008 11:22:40 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Don't cut the vine and do more damage. Get a syringe and inject the vine with insecticide. Dilute at about 3 x the recommended amount and make injections about 12" apart in the vine in the affected area. I have used Bt in the past but possibly Merit or some imidicloprid product would be better and faster. This does work.

8/4/2008 8:46:52 PM

Columbus, OH

Would the insecticide do anything to harm the plant if you inject it like that? The first one i got a week ago, i just removed the vine. Now today their are 2 more, at first I tried to cut into the vine, and got it real good with some spray. The next one since i couldn’t really find the bug, i just took a needle and poked right through multiple times hoping to stab the damn thing, and I think I did. Ill be able to tell tomorrow if it worked.

The worst part is that the two I got today both flanked my pumpkin on the main vine, they were literally at the nodes on the two secondary vines that surround my pumpkin, not to mention all my other AG and field pumpkins that im just letting grow on their own, with just some water and a little fertilizer here and there, have not been touched at all. I’m thinking next year of having a second patch as a honey pot full of field pumpkins and other squash to keep the SVB away. Anyone ever tried that?

8/4/2008 11:20:47 PM

Bloomington, IN

Thanks for replying everyone. lcheckon, I don't have a syringe and don't know where to get one, but even if I did, would the insecticide carry into the fruit? The pumpkins in question are Prizewinner Hybrids (don't have any AG's going this year) and so I was planning on harvesting the seeds for roasting. Borers have also been attacking my zucchini, so I wouldn't want to do anything that would render them inedible. I have some Eight concentrate, would that help against SVB's? If not, then I'll probably try sticking them with a needle.

8/5/2008 12:09:50 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

If you are concerned about using it on edible fruit then use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). It is not toxic.

8/5/2008 9:29:11 AM

Columbus, OH

Ive been keeping an eye on the one that I stabbed with a needle about 20-30 times, and so far so good. I may have went overboard on the number of times, but I pretty much went at it from every side, and through the entry hole, and it left zero marks from the needle.

8/5/2008 12:34:05 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Try an experiment ..inject a side vine and see if it has any side effects..I'm not worried about eating AG's...but would love to know what concentrate of talstar or merit is detrimental to the vine....but I'm already down to two plants and pumpkins so I can't do it this year.

8/5/2008 7:11:36 PM

Oz

You can get a hypodermic needle from the farmers co-op,or tractor supply.You can use a diabetic needle,but the needle is short.

With borers the thing is to get them before they get down to the leaf base,where they bore in.
Other than poison,and extreme diligence,there is not much you can do.

Pvc hoops,with netting,over treated ground,is an expensive way.But it works.

8/6/2008 10:18:59 AM