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The
pickleworm is the larva of the Pyralid or snout moth (Family Pyralidae).
Other moths in this family include a very common pest called the Indian
meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). Indian meal
moths are commonly found in grains, breads, dried fruit, pasta and dry
cereals. FYI: I
once found the Indian meal moth larvae in a tub of dishwasher detergent.
I guess it looked like corn meal to them!
After
we determined the pest causing my beautiful squashes to be destroyed, it
was time to find a solution to the problem. Permethrin or carbaryl were
recommended and, according to Internet research, are the best defenses
to use before damage is done. The problem is I have holes in my
butternut squashes now! Also, if I use either of those chemicals on my
plants, I will potentially do harm to the honeybees.
My
next door neighbor, Dr. Malia Fincher, has two very healthy bee colonies
and we are anxiously awaiting some honey in a few weeks!
After
careful consideration, I decided to do the manual killing of the
pickleworms. I am now committed to inspecting each fruit every morning.
I look for egg placement and holes. If I see a hole, I will poke it with
a straight pin to kill anything that may be inside. In inspecting for
eggs, I wipe each fruit with a dry towel to remove anything that may
have been placed on the squash during the night.
I
know it seems like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. Each morning it
takes me about 15 minutes to perform these tasks. It also affords |
