Some
vegetable gardeners are having success controlling
Squash Borer by injecting diluted BTK in vines.
What follows is a description sent by one of our
customers. She also recommends looking at You-Tube
Videos.
I got
syringes from Peavy Mart and about 18 or 20
gauge needles. The syringe can be bought
separately for under 5 dollars and you want
one that holds 5 cc or more. The
needles come in packages of 10 to 20 for
about $10. I start the process with 3
small mason jars: one for BTK mix, one for
bleach/water solution and the last with tap
water. I just mix up a small amount of
BTK and water in a small clean glass jar -
enough to make the water dirty looking
(maybe 1/2 teaspoon in a the smallest size
mason jar). Fill the syringe and find the
spot of the squash/zucchini plant where
there is frass (insect poop) protruding and
gently insert syringe and inject
liquid. I generally need to move the
injection around to find the borer cavity so
the liquid can go in. I have had to
repeat this throughout the season.
I then
flush the syringe/needle with a bleach/water
mix and followed by a pure water mix before
moving to the next plant or storing the
syringe until next time. Extreme
caution used to not get a needle prick
injury.
Also the
dilution of BTK doesn't keep so I mix fresh
each time that I use it. I think it keeps
for 2-3 days.
There are
a number of YouTube from different gardeners
if helpful to watch - just search with
{injecting BT for squash vine borer} and
many options come up. Some gardeners use it
as a preventative method but I find getting
the needle into a healthy squash plant is
difficult and I'd rather treat it when I see
that the insect has borrowed a hole in the
base of the vine. It’s quite easy to
see where there’s insect damage given the
frass.
Made in the Shade Perennials 3626 Hwy 2
RR 3 (4.5 km east of Joyceville Rd.)
Gananoque, Ontario K7G 2V5
Phone: (613)
382-8251 eMail: sales@mitsperennials.com
