Meet Mr. Pickle Worm

Nothing says "good morning sweetie" then waking up to this nasty critter.
 Meet "Mr. Diaphania Nitidalis" aka "The Pickle Worm"

 

Thanks to my good buddy DUKE who verified what the little holes were. I followed his lead and cut one open this morning and there it was....ICK!  It gave me goose bumps. ND who is an aspiring entomologist wanted to keep it as a pet.

These guys are a serious pest. They primarily like to feed on squash, but also like vegetables in the cucumber and melon families. What you initially see are small holes in your fruit or veggies, that is where the larva ( pictured) like to burrow. About 8-9 days later they will emerge as the "pickleworm moth" and fly out primarily in the evening hours.

 

I dusted my cucumbers in the early evening hours last night with Sevin dust. Which I have been told will work. The only problem with any insecticides is I don't want the Bees who stop  by to pollinate the blooms to die as well.  It is kind of a catch 22.

Some other ideas to protect your garden is to cover your vines with screen so the moths can not get in to lay eggs, or planting a group of squash as a sort of "trap crop" to keep them off your more important vegetables.
This is because they prefer the squash over anything else. They also do not like to feed on watermelons for some reason.

Either way, its a disgusting little cusp that I hope to eradicate from the few vines of cucumbers I am growing. 

-JUGM