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Stink Bugs: help! Need recommendations to save my squashes

 
Posts: 60
Location: Urbana, IL Zone 5b
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I'm losing the battle with stink bugs and with it my winter squash and pumpkins. I'm afraid my tomatoes will be next! The internet basically says insecticide soap, which obviously I don't want to use. I've been picking them off and scraping the eggs off, too, but they are everywhere! I also read that ladybugs and lacewings will eat them. I thought about buying some as I don't seem to have any in my garden despite planting beneficial bug attracting flowers everywhere. Then I read that wild caught bugs can carry disease and now I'm wondering what to do. Anyone have recommendations to try and save what's left of my squashes? Thoughts on buying beneficial bugs?

Thanks!
 
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Location: Ozarks zone 7 alluvial, clay/loam with few rocks 50" yearly rain
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Jaimee...I think what you are calling stink bugs are what we call squash bugs. They are the reason I don't grow summer squash and only grow winter squash every few years. They don't usually bother pumpkins and melons unless they overflow the squash plants. I tried as you are to keep up with hand picking and a couple years did better with early row cover removed when they bloom. The most reliable, though is to not grow them every year. The population will build and build if you do...especially summer and then winter squash in the same year.
I do have stink bugs on some tomatoes...they damage mostly the skin. I hope someone can give you better advice than mine...I love squash:) and miss growing it.
 
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For the past 2 years stinkbugs have destroyed my tomatoes. I'm not into picking them off by hand. I've given up on tomatoes, and am focusing on things that I can grow with little effort. I think squash bugs are different to stinkbugs. My zucchini plants are fine, though I am sick of eating it.
 
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