How to Identify and Control Zucchini Plant Pests
Nothing says summer like a great harvest of homemade zucchini. As much as you enjoy fresh-picked fruit, there are many garden pests that like to nibble on your zucchini plants. From the tiny aphid to the colorful cucumber beetle, there are plenty of creepy bugs that can't wait to get their teeth into your vegetables. Are you afraid? don't be Although the list of pests that can attack zucchini may seem long, with a few quick steps, most of them are easily dealt with.
1. Aphids
Aphids are one of the most common garden pests out there, and zucchini plants are not immune to these sap-sucking insects. These tiny 1/8-inch-long bugs can be black, red, green, yellow, brown, or pink, depending on the species. They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae and are usually wingless. A single aphid is no big deal, but in groups, they can stunt or damage plants. These insects breed profusely, with eggs hatching in winter and spring. During the summer months, females can produce up to 12 live young per day. Zucchini plants infested with aphids may have stunted or curled, yellow, mottled, or dry leaves. The honeycomb left behind by aphids can lead to sooty mold and also attract ants.
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Because they are so small, you may not notice them until you have a large infestation or see signs of damage on your plants. They don't always cause much damage, but even if you're tempted to leave them, remember that they can spread disease.
How to manage aphids
The sooner you deal with the problem, the better your plant will survive unscathed. The first step is to spray the plants with water from the hose to knock the insects loose. Sometimes, they leave it to another plant. Keep your garden free of weeds so they have no place to hide. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs, syrphid flies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps are natural enemies of aphids, so encourage them to inhabit your garden. This can be done by planting nectar-rich flowers such as anise henna, black-eyed Susans, or bee balm, and herbs such as fennel, Queen Anne's lace, caraway, mallow, and coriander. If that fails, you can try neem oil or insecticidal soap. Spray the top and bottom of the leaves and reapply every few days for two weeks. Also, limit fertilizer use, as excess nitrogen can favor aphid reproduction, according to experts at the Integrated Pest Management Program. Applying a reflective mulch around plants can help repel aphids.
2. Cucumber beetles
There are two types of cucumber beetles: the spotted, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (also known as the southern corn rootworm), and the striped, Acalymma vittatum Both are similar in appearance and damage type, and both should be dealt with similarly. These insects feed on leaves and stems, and a large infestation can defoliate plants. They overwinter in protected areas. Larvae begin feeding underground, then emerge in late spring or summer and find a plant.
How to manage cucumber beetles
Keep weeds out of your garden as they act as hosts for these pests. Wrap dark landscaping fabric around plants to prevent adults from laying eggs. If you have room, plant 'Blue Hubbard' squash as a cover crop. Cucumber beetles, pumpkin bugs, and pumpkin vine borers love this plant for zucchini, so plant some near your zucchini plant or at the ends of a row of zucchini. Plants should be spaced 3 to 8 feet apart as they mature, so they are not too close to jumping back and forth but are spaced well enough to attract insects.
Your 'Blue Hubbard' plants need to be two weeks older than your zucchini plants for this trapping method to be most effective, so plant your winter squash plants two weeks earlier than your jukes. You can use floating row covers from late May to early June, but be sure to remove them for an hour a day once the plants begin to flower so the flowers can be pollinated.
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3. Cutworms
Cutworms are the larvae of a variety of Miller moths and are active at night. Although the presence of adults in your garden is not a big deal, cutworm larvae can chew through the stems of plants and kill them. One day your plant is growing happily, the next it's lying in a heap on the ground. Cutworms are bulky caterpillars that can be black, brown, gray, brown, or dark yellow in color. Some have lines, spots, or stripes on the body. Most are two inches long when fully grown. They all have soft skin that is almost moist or greasy. Although they may look like some other types of garden worms that don't harm your plants, you can be sure you're dealing with cutworms if they curl up into a C-shape when you disturb them...
How to manage cutworms
It helps to mark four feet or more of bare soil as a perimeter around your plants. This prevents worms from trying to find a snack inside your garden. You can also plant sunflowers around the perimeter of the garden as a trap crop, as cutworms love these plants. However, remember that since you are providing food to the insects, you will need to go out every day to find and kill them. Otherwise, you could end up with a thriving population of cutworms on your hands. You can also make a DIY collar to protect the base of transplanted seedlings. Cut a toilet paper roll lengthwise and dig down about an inch around your plants. Place a roll of toilet paper at the base of the plant and in a low area. Change the soil. The goal is to create a barrier that the worms can't squish down or shimmy through. Leave it in this place until it dissolves.
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4. Leafminers
There are many leafhopper species out there, but the most common cause of damage to zucchini plants is the vegetable or melon leafhopper, called Liriomyza sativae. Regardless of the species, adult leafminer flies lay their eggs inside the leaves, and when the larvae emerge, they chew through the foliage of the plants. They leave a telling trail of tunnels that look like a maze. The width of the tunnels increases as the larvae mature.
How to Manage Leafminers
Parasitic wasps are a major enemy of leaf cleaners. Plant dill, Queen Anne's lace, cilantro, and fennel nearby to encourage them to visit your garden. If an infestation isn't bad, you can pinch the tunnels to crush the larvae inside. You can also try reflective mulch, although reports of its effectiveness vary. Don't over-fertilize plants – Nitrogen encourages leafy growth by helping plants produce lots of leaves, creating a reliable source of nutrients.
Keep weeds out of your garden because they act as hosts. Finally, you can use array cards in April and early May. Pull the covers when the plants begin to flower, which usually happens after the leafworm spawning season is over.
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5. Spider mites
The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, likes to snack on vegetable crops, although you may find other types of spider mites in your zucchini. Spider mites can produce up to 20 generations in a year, and they prefer warm, dry climates. They look like teenage spiders. As these insects feed on the plants, the leaves may take on a faded appearance or they may become dull or wilted.
They may have red or brown spots. If you have a heavy infestation, you'll know it because you'll see fine webbing all over your zucchini plants. How to manage spider mites The first step in managing spider mites is to check your plants frequently for small arachnids or signs of their presence. You should keep weeds away to avoid providing them with an inviting place to hide and breed. Again, don't over-fertilize. If you go outside and see your plants, water your plants every day for two weeks to loosen them up and create an environment they don't like. Cut off badly affected areas and dispose of them - don't put them in the compost pile. You can use an insecticidal soap or neem oil. Spray early in the morning and avoid using severely damaged plants.
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