There are some insects in our vegetable garden that reproduce fast. One of them is the squash bug. This garden pest overwinters under rocks, in weeds and under debris around the garden. In June they lay copper colored eggs on the undersides of summer squash, zucchini, winter squash and melon plant's leaves. The eggs hatch in about 10 days into small versions of the adult, grey, squash bug.
The grey youngsters feast on the squash leaves, flowers and even young fruits, causing damage for 4 to 6 weeks. In Connecticut there's usually just one generation a year, but the populations do overlap. It's important to control this pest now before their numbers soar.
While many gardeners will reach for an insecticide to stop the damage, there are other options. Planting nasturtium flowers around the squashes has proven to reduce egg laying because the adults can't detect the squash plants due to the scent the nasturtiums. You do need large nasturtium plants for this to be effective.
Also, crush the copper colored eggs laid in groups on the underside of the leaves. I find if I keep up with the egg laying, I have fewer squash bugs by the time the plant's fruit. You can also lay boards or rolled up newspaper around the squash plants in the evening and look for the young squash bugs in the morning. They like the dark, cool, conditions, but can move fast.
If you must resort to insecticidal sprays, apply them in the early morning or late evening when most of the bees aren't in the garden. The sprays are less toxic to bees when dried.
