Day 3
It's only been a few days since the war began for us. Many have been fighting for years, and I admire them. But even after a few days I feel like it's been a lifetime. It started one day watching a red and black aircraft that I found to be called a "borer moth", but has grown to much more. During the day, Im on constant watch for aerial attacks. We have set sticky traps, pick off the little mines they lay on the plants, and even caught, questioned and killed one of them. They circle and dodge us. It only takes a second and they are gone. Leaving behind almost invisible eggs that will ruin all we worked for. At night it's very different. They slime and slither and crawl into our beds. Hundreds of them, and they never stop. They take over the walls, hide in the grass, eat and eat and eat. They are relentless. More of us come home each night than them, but I fear we are losing the war. How do you fight an enemy with no soul? I cant sleep to think that while I rest, I know that more of them are out there. I killed over 30 tonight, in traps and by my hands. I never knew that my attempt to bring life into my home would mean so much death. Tomorrow is another day and however small our chance of victory, it is a chance.

I have to say I do not believe I have ever read a more prosaic written composition of the age old garden war against pests. Well done and best of luck in the fight!!

Sometimes they are a bitch to remove...

picks please

Ever met any Armyworms?

Hold fast friend.

One year they pissed me off so bad I cut them out of my dying plants to make sure I killed every one of them. I can't plant squash now as I can't keep ahead of the bugs. My plums all died from the frost so I hope those varmits starve to death this year.

Had them last year, the chickens made fast work of them.

So far I've been checking a couple times every night and after the first night of 50 I've been getting about 15 slugs a night and finding less than 5 eggs from the moths a day. The marigolds are magnets for the slugs, so it makes for easy picking and hopefully they eat that more than my peppers or cucumbers. I sprayed with BT today, and will put a fresh powder of DE down in the morning when it dries up bit. Might get some sevin dust to put at the base and over the hay I have covering soil after my DE runs out if I need it. But squash, pepper and tomatoes are starting to produce, and my watermelon and okra just broke through the soil. My photobucket sucks and I can't post pictures.

Caught another vine bore moth today. Slugs are down to 6-10 a night. Sprayed with BT after the rain. Gotten a leg up for now.

I'm picking egg pods off every morning I only have 2 squash and 2 zuchinni plants so it's do able but I'm sure I'm missing some. Do the lay eggs all summer? Or do I just have like a month battle on my hands

Man i hate that for you. Good luck with your killings

I have lost 2 squash plants out of 15. this seems to help Spraying soapy water on my plants under leaves and all. Spray them in the evenings the blooms are open in the morning don't need soap in them. I put out slug bait but I think the soap keeps them away.

I lost 1 of my 12 plants to squash vine bore. Ive been out of town a lot the last couple weeks. But I sprayed with Bt again and removed the dead plant. Gonna go tonight for another look through to find any more eggs.

Im losing the war. I saw holes in the base of more of my squash and zucchini plants so I performed surgery and took out 3 borer larva. Covered the plants base with manure hope they make it.