Q&A – Do squash vine borer traps work or just attract more borers?
Question:
I have fought the evil squash vine borers for several years and I am trying vine borer traps. They catch a lot of these nasty bugs. Today I caught 14 in just a few hours. Do vine borer traps work, or am just calling vine borers from 3 counties to come feast on my zucchini?
Answer:
They obviously work as the trap in question has caught many vine borers in a short amount of time. The question is do they attract more vine borers to your garden? Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison suggests that you can determine if they are working if you have no vine borers in your nearby squash plants. If you still have borers in the squash, then the insects are being trapped after they lay eggs, or they are being attracted in greater numbers.
Related Resources:
Squash vine borers
Squash Vine Borer
I have fought the evil squash vine borers for several years and I am trying vine borer traps. They catch a lot of these nasty bugs. Today I caught 14 in just a few hours. Do vine borer traps work, or am just calling vine borers from 3 counties to come feast on my zucchini?
Answer:
They obviously work as the trap in question has caught many vine borers in a short amount of time. The question is do they attract more vine borers to your garden? Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison suggests that you can determine if they are working if you have no vine borers in your nearby squash plants. If you still have borers in the squash, then the insects are being trapped after they lay eggs, or they are being attracted in greater numbers.
Related Resources:
Squash vine borers
Squash Vine Borer