Squash Pests

With some sunshine and warmer weather, a lot of the squash plants in the garden are looking very healthy. But you have to look closer to see the trouble coming ahead. The squash bugs  have arrived, as well as striped cucumber beetles. And the slugs are feeding on the lower leaves.

Squash bugs are ugly brown bugs you will find crawling around in the lower parts of the plants on the stems and undersides of the leaves. They can do a lot of damage and even destroy the plants. I couldn’t find one to photograph. You should check your squash plants daily for both the bugs and the orange/copper colored eggs and destroy them.

Below are photos of a cucumber beetle, squash bug eggs on top of a leaf, both eggs and a beetle on the flower, and a pretty healthy looking slug.