If you have ever grown squash or pumpkins, you probably already know the bane of my squash plants. I wish I had a magical answer about how to eradicate squash bugs from your garden, but the best bet to lessening damage from the bugs is to control their populations.

Adult squash bugs are gray and shaped like a shield with legs. They are quite large compared to many other insects, reaching about three-fourths of an inch long at maturity. Young squash bugs look like miniature adults but are usually lighter in color. As they grow, their bodies harden into an impenetrable surface, making insecticides ineffective when the bugs reach full size.

The real key to controlling squash bugs is to check your plants early and often. Squash bugs hang out on the undersides of the leaves, so lift each one to look for the bugs. One of my chores as a kid was to check the squash plants for bugs every morning and evening in the summer. I will admit, I am less dedicated with my own garden, but I am checking my plants at a minimum of every four to five days.

You should also look for eggs on the undersides of the leaves. They are orange to bronze in color and easy to see in clusters along the veins. Insecticides are as useless on the eggs as they are the adults, so you should manually remove them. Crush them, scrape them off – do whatever it takes to destroy the eggs.

What about adult squash bugs? Fitting to their name, you should squash them. When I have any doubts about harming the little creatures, I just think of zucchini, fresh off the grill with a little olive oil, or a succulent spaghetti squash coming out of the oven.

If you wish to use an insecticide to help the battle, you must use a product that directly contacts the insect. Make sure to also read the label to make sure the specific product you choose is safe to use on the plant and says it will control the pest. Pyrethrins and rotenone are considered the safest options because they have less residual activity. That also means they may need to be applied more often. Other insecticides are permethrin and carbaryl. Remember, all of these products only control immature squash bugs.

Removing plant debris from the garden at the end of the season also helps with control. Squash bugs overwinter as adults and will hide under whatever they can find. If there are other “things” sitting around the garden area (you know how easily they accumulate), those should be disposed of too. Wood piles, compost piles and landscape timbers and boards are favorite hiding spots and should be moved as far away from the garden site as possible.

For a small number of plants, cheesecloth or netting can be draped over plants to form a barrier to the bugs. However, covers must be removed often enough to allow bees to pollinate the flowers, so this works best as another reduction method.

Tachinid flies and several parasitic wasps are natural enemies of squash bugs. These insects can be released into a garden to aid in control and have been somewhat effective in trials. Availability is an issue, and remember – the good guys can fly away when they want.

For more information, the K-State publication “Squash Bugs and Squash Vine Borers” can be found at www.douglas.ksu.edu, or call the Douglas County Extension Master Gardener garden hotline at 843-7058. The Master Gardeners can also be reached by e-mail at dgemg@sunflower.com.