What's eating my pumpkin?

Pumpkins face serious pest pressure from squash vine borers, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and aphids. Squash vine borer is the most destructive — larvae tunnel into vines and kill plants from the inside. Deer, rabbits, and birds can also damage fruit and foliage. Row covers early in the season and vigilant scouting from transplant to harvest are essential.

Sudden wilting of individual vines from the base; sawdust-like frass at entry holes near the stem base; larvae tunnel through the stem. Use row covers until flowering; wrap stems in foil at the base; plant second succession after peak moth flight; inject BTk into stems or cut out larvae; rotate crops annually.

Bronze or wilting patches on leaves that die rapidly; grey, shield-shaped bugs and clusters of copper eggs on leaf undersides; fruit scarring. Hand-pick eggs and bugs daily; use row covers early; apply pyrethrin or neem oil; destroy crop debris at season end to reduce overwintering adults.

Irregular holes chewed in leaves and flowers; bacteria wilt transmission causes rapid vine collapse; scarred or pitted fruit skin. Use row covers until flowers open; apply kaolin clay as a deterrent; use pyrethrin spray; trap crops of Blue Hubbard squash can draw them away.

Dense colonies on undersides of leaves and on growing tips; curled, sticky leaves; yellow mosaic virus transmission; sooty mold. Knock off with a strong jet of water; apply insecticidal soap spray; encourage ladybugs and parasitic wasps; avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer.