Squash bugs!

This year I planted a garden and it has been so fun and rewarding to be able to gather salad greens and herbs any time I want. 

One problem is squash bugs.  Everyone tells me that they are just a fact of life when gardening here in the desert.  Squash bugs are ugly little things that lay brownish/redish eggs on the under side of the leaves and reproduce at an alarming rate.  They suck the life out of your squash plants and eventually kill them.

See what I mean?  Ugly......


I have tried all kinds of natural remedies like planting garlic by the squash, marigolds, basil and washing the plants down with different concoctions.

Finally I found something that actually works!  A simple shop vac.  Thats right people just vacuum up the little suckers.    Use the wand attachment to suck them up, cut off any dying leaves and burn the leaves and the contents of the shop vac.  Use a solution of dawn dish soap and green tea (cooled) to wash off the eggs.  You may have to do this two or three times to get them all. 

Thanks for the great tip Kerry!