She's back and she's breeding . . .
See my previous post . . . Nemesis in our garden
I discovered these odd, prickly bugs all over a summer squash plant in a nearby garden plot. Curious, I found out what these little prickers were.
The young larvae look like evil little prickly pears. They are bright yellow and covered with of spiny black hairs. They will grow quickly and pupate, then the bright orange and black spotted adults will appear. They are one of the largest lady beetles in Eastern North America where they range.
These bugs are ravenous and will destroy squash plants. Don't let they lady looks fool you. Squash these squash bugs!
I found some of these hairy booger bugs on my zucchini this morning . . . I'm so not happy. I found some solutions to get rid of them . . .
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• Plant radish seeds right in the hills with the cucumber plants. Or any kind of bean plant.
• If the infestation is beyond control use either of the botanical poisons: pyrethrum or rotenone. You want to hit the adults with these when you observe them feeding on pollen in flowers.
• Neem oil, which can act as an ovicide, can be used as a soil drench to treat eggs and larvae. It does seem to help with control of the adults as a repellant and antifeedant.