In keeping with last week’s theme today’s search includes two more from folks with the same trouble in the garden.
“squash bugs kill soap” and “How Do You Squash Bugs” both indicate trouble in the pumpkin patch.
To the first searcher, I would make sure you are using a “manly” type of soap. I use Safer’s, but have also used diluted dish detergent and have never had any soap casualties. Avoid the “leaves your hands smooth as a baby’s bottom” types of soap.
To the second searcher, you can use your foot of course, but I warn you, if you do, you will find out why another word for these insects is “Stink Bug”.
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hi Will, Thanks for posting these two search queries (LOL). Are they real (or did you make them up)? I can imagine one person getting a phrase jumbled, but three people? That’s interesting. And is there really that much interest in killing squash bugs? One other question if you don’t mind… we grow zucchini, but I’ve never seen a squash bug (that I know of). I do remember seeing stink bugs as a kid(or what we called stink bugs). Are they the same bug? ~ Steve
Your Sunday Searches are a looked forward to source of entertainment every week. I got a pretty good one this week too, and you might get a chuckle out of it – “How to make my husband like living in a small town”!
Jennifer Robins last blog post..Camera Critter/Green Thumb Sunday and a Giveaway!
Hi Steve – No these are real. In fact the two above were back to back. Maybe the same person did two searches? Having said that, I actually get a lot of hits for squash bugs this time of year. They are pretty common in some places, cause lots of damage, and are very shocking when you look at your pumpkins and see a huge colony of adults and nymphs. Here are a couple of photos:
http://mdvegetables.umd.edu/images/Squash%20bug.JPG
http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/mnvegnew/IMG/Lsbleaf.jpg
eggs:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/images/M1208-2-lg.jpg
Well, Jennifer, they say you can find an answer to anything on the internet! And that search landed me right on this page.
Hope they got an answer and not a move back to the city, or worse!
hi Will, thanks for the links to the squash bug pictures. I would be very sad to see that second picture of all those bugs on my plants! Wow. I appparently don’t have a squash bug problem, but I do have a snail problem, at least when the plants are just coming up from seed. I’ve tried ground up sea shells (no luck) and a friend of mine tried the copper strip method (no luck). This year I found the best thing was to go out about an hour after sunset with a flash light on snail patrol. It took a week or two, but I knocked down the population pretty good. Once the plant is big enough, it can handle a little munching. Do you have a better snail solution? I’ve heard of putting beer in a dish sunk into the ground. Actually, about a 1/4 of a beer, and you can guess were the rest goes.
I haven’t tried that one yet, but I would be interested if you have any snail secrets. ~ Steve
Hysterical!! I’m definitely addicted to my site statistics, and looking at funny searches never grows old. I guess they’re the true “long tail.”
We have earwigs here that do the same damage, Steve. I lived for a while in San Francisco and had snail trouble. I used diatomaceous earth, the ground up shells, I guess you tried. It worked great for the snails and helps keep the earwigs off too. The thing is that it has to be dry to work, so need to be reapplied after watering or rain.
hi Will, Thanks for your response! I have never heard that the ground up shells need to be dry! I live in Santa Barbara, and in the spring the nights are often foggy and wet, which is when I have the problem of the snails going right over the ground up shells. Now I know why! I think next year I will try the beer in a dish solution. Even if it doesn’t work on the snails, I’ll get something out of it! ~ Steve, amateur gardener and purveyor of portable trade show booths
I love your Wordless Wednesday and Sunday Search programmes. I found it’s very interesting. Especially the Sunday Search which mostly come up with funny quotes.
Interesting concept Will, lol. Anna
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