Q&A – Will I kill squash bugs and squash vine borers if I till
in the winter?

Question:
Will I kill squash bugs and squash vine borers if I till in the winter?
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Answer:
You may kill the squash vine borers by tilling, but you probably won’t affect the squash bugs. UT Extension Agent Celeste Scott says the vine borer pupa are in the top few inches of the soil. Tilling would bring them up and expose them to the cold and birds. Squash bugs overwinter in weedy areas so tilling your garden would not affect them.
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Related Videos:
Rototilling a Garden
Squash Pests

Related Resources:
Squash Bugs and Squash Vine Borer
Cucumber, Squash, Melon and Other Cucurbit Insects and Pests