50
Squash bugs
(lemmy.world)
I thought these were aphids the other day and finally decided to do an image search. I clipped some leaves that had eggs and newly hatched larvae, threw that specific zucchini away, and squished a bunch more. I also used some dead bug brew.
Will diatomaceous earth work on them?
Not in my experience. Even if you coat the eggs and them directly.
I believe that diatomaceous earth works on all insects. It's not poison; it's finely ground silica, and it essentially wrecks their insect lungs. It will also wreck your lungs if you aren't careful with it (silicosis is super-bad, m'kay?). The issue will be getting it where it needs to be to affect them, and you'll have to re-apply after rain.
Actually diatomaceous earth isn't silica - it's fossilized diatom skeletons that works by physically cutting insects' exoskeletons causing them to dehydrate, not by affecting thier lungs.