I picked the first of my winter squash a couple days ago, acorn squashes. The vines had died and I assumed it was just time to take them. Two of the 7 squashes I harvested had holes/damage on them so I’m making them for dinner tonight and I find this. I’m afraid I already know the answer but are these SVB larvae?
One plant had what looked like borer damage on the stem but I cut it open and found nothing inside. I’ve never heard of them going into fruits. I’m growing butter nuts and a maxima variety and as far as I can tell none of those have been impacted by SVB. I’ve been attributing all recent die back to powdery mildew but tomorrow I will look closer at all my plants.
by ramavali
15 Comments
bingo
Looks like one.
That would be a first for me – but it certainly looks like it.
yeah it happens to a few of my fruits every year. I was surprised to see they don’t just focus on the stem
Yeah I’ve seen them from time to time in my summer squash.
now the question is: are you willing to expand your culinary ingredient list?
The level of hatred I have for those things is off the charts. Was so excited to grow pumpkins this year and they absolutely demolished them. 😒 I swear I see people accidentally growing pumpkins from letting them rot on their porch and I can’t grow any on purpose. Lol.
Yep
Yup I’ve seen it. It’s absolutely disgusting. My hatred of them is on par with mosquitoes
Had one in my winter squash as well this year.
This year, all my pumpkin plants which succumbed to powdery mildew were also afflicted by SVB – in fact, it seemed to be exactly mapping the length traveled by the insects. My unaffected plants had only a little powder on each leaf, while the affected ones had entire leaves covered in it. When I see lots of mildew, I remove any fruits growing from those vines to prevent the insects from moving into them.
This does drive me nuts especially when you have a gorgeous one.
Yes. I have had SVB larvae go into pumpkins and gourds in the past. It’s the most infuriating thing, after all the trouble that goes into growing a nice pumpkin, only to pick it, turn it over and see a huge freaking hole in it.
I get plastic discs – like the top from a large Utz Potato Stix container or frisbees for larger things – and place them under any pumpkin/gourd that grows in the grass. This seems to have largely fixed the issue for me.
Ugh, I feel your pain. I had the same thing happen to a couple of my spaghetti squashes last year, cut them open and found the dreaded larvae squirming inside. I always thought they only went for the stems too, but apparently when they’re desperate they’ll take a shot at the fruit.
Unrelated but I love your usage of the Lincoln wheat penny. 2nd favorite coin to the Morgan dollar.