When you think of a squash bug, think noun, not verb — the vegetable, not the act of flattening an insect. Squash bugs are pests that wreak havoc on cucurbits such as summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins and gourds.

Also known as Anasa tristis, they target plants in the early stages of growth or starting to produce flowers. Now is the time to watch for them and lessen the damage they cause.

Telltale signs of your crops serving as this insect’s buffet are the damage they cause and sighting the bugs themselves in all stages as they feast on your garden.

Squash bugs use their jaws to slash leaves and suck out the sap, cutting off the flow of nutrients and hydration within the plant. This causes browning around the holes, and the entire plant wilts and dies. Fruit on plants isn’t immune either.  Read More

For more information on this and other topics, visit extension.colostate.edu or contact your local CSU Extension Office.

Vicky Dorvee is a Colorado State University Extension Master Gardener in Boulder County.