With a good bit of rich compost and supplemental watering twice a week my cucumbers, squash, zucchini, watermelon, pumpkin and butternut squash are all lush, green and loaded with fruit and blossoms. Too good to be true. This year you betcha!
Look who I found yesterday lurking around the squash patch. For those who have never had a visit from the little fellow these are striped cucumber beetles. And are they a bugger to get rid of. Even worse they carry a wilt virus that can wipe out a squash, melon or cucumber patch in a weeks time.
And look in the field peas. Yes those are aphids. See the little black bugs on the stem and the ant there. Where you have aphids you have ants.
And my little friend here who should be out there eating those aphids is where? Lounging around on Hank's wet beach towel on the front porch in the shade. S L A C K E R !!
So what is my agenda for the day...mix up a batch of garlic spray for the aphids and a bucket of soapy water to start picking cucumber beetles and start drowning them in it. Bwwaaahhhh : )
I'll be awhile !
I GOT BUGS
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
O I have silly bugs too on my tomato plant...it's beautiful and now the bugs are attacking it...white flies and some red brownish bugs...I was so upset I been cleaning them by hand. Cause I didn't know what to use that wasn't a chemical...I never had such a bug problem before till this garden...hummm little buggers...Hope your catch what your looking for...Happy Saturday...with love Janice
ReplyDeleteOh the saga of gardens and bugs--I am plagued with leaf footed stink bugs in the tomato patch..scoundrels!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the lady bugs are coming around to help you. I think I see one in the 3rd photo.
ReplyDeleteYou are right and how very observant of you! That is indeed an immature lady bug in the back ground. Mother nature is trying to help me : )
DeleteHave fun with your bugs! They can be fun!
ReplyDeleteUgh, we're having terrible problem with pests as well this year. As if squash bugs, cuke beetles and fungus weren't bad enough, we discovered 8 rabbit kits in the middle of our strawberry bed this morning!
ReplyDeleteYa know Cranky the rabbit population has exploded here as well this year. We haven't seen this many rabbits in years yet the coyotes and hawks seem to have disappeared???
DeleteThis as turned into such a strange year I just have to wonder what is going on...
Glad to see you added your garlic spray to the make-it-yourself page. I'm sure I'll be using it a LOT.
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed week, CQ!