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Deer Park, WI

Hi folks- I got an itch to write another article about big punkins, so I want to call on the help of my fellow growers for this one- I will give credit to the growers here at BP for your help. I am going to start a series of "top 10" lists for a bunch aspects of growing. The first shall be pests. Pretty easy. So please list what you believe to be the most significant pests in your garden, wether it be specific bugs, viruses, fungus,varmin, wives, kids, dogs, etc. I will tally the results and post as an article when all is complete. Please list as many as you can, in the order of most damaging/bothersome/scary. I have an inkling our #1 vote will be the SVB. Prove it to me...

7/17/2002 9:07:23 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

svb and woodchucks

7/17/2002 9:43:59 AM

ipswich, ma usa

I would have to say woodchucks. I have spent more time, money and energy on fences, (electric and conventional) traps, (the cute have-a-damn-hart kind) girl friends decision, (no need to say more). Out of all the stuff in my garden, out all all the clipped off secondaries residing on my compost pile, he still likes to eat the very tip of my main vine. Go figure! Sorry if I seem bitter, butttt, what again was the reason for woodchucks on this earth?

John (5150)

7/17/2002 10:10:57 AM

Webster, NY

svb, cuke beetles, soccer balls.

7/17/2002 10:53:30 AM

Deer Park WA

Biggest pest I have had is flocks of Sparrows shredding leaves and pecking my pumpkins I lost an entire plant last season and this year my 644 started looking like we had daily hail storms. I have found a way to slow them down though :]

7/17/2002 10:54:43 AM

No Place Special

I don't know if you plan to mention what takes care of bugs, but this yr ive been using Scimitar and have only seen a few of any kind of bugs. Had cuke beetles last yr but none this yr on the plants sprayed with Scimitar. Seen only one SVB moth this yr. Seen one slug but no damage found. I credit Scimitar for this bug free season.

7/17/2002 11:27:49 AM

Glen Echo, MD

Top pumpkin pests in order: 1. SVB 2. Mexican bean bettles 3. Squirrels 4. Me!

7/17/2002 11:36:17 AM

Cologne / Germany

Powdery mildew. None of these insects to be found here, but all my cucurbita family plants are affected one time a year. I use sulfur against it and it works pretty good.

7/17/2002 11:56:29 AM

Central Connecticut

cuke beetles and svb cause me the most sleepless nights

7/17/2002 12:21:18 PM

Knopp, Germany

myself. a newbie trying to hard.

7/17/2002 12:55:52 PM

Deer Park, WI

Thanks for your input so far! The list is shaping up nicely. I will offer my top ten as well.
1.SVB 2.Cuke Beetles 3.Powdery Mildew 4.Woodchucks 5.Extreme Temps HI/LO 5.Extreme Water HI/LO 6.Excessive Wind 7.Squash bugs 8.Other people 9.Myself! 10.Dogs

7/17/2002 12:59:28 PM

williamstown

the neighbor dog

7/17/2002 1:20:41 PM

Cologne / Germany

what about cats? Have a few running around during summer and wondered if they might become interested what´s going on in the patch....

7/17/2002 1:33:04 PM

Ga.

Biggest problem for us southern growers is weather,,heat-haze-humidity...
1-powerdy mildew,,2-my dumb dog!!,,3-white flies,4-mosiac virus,5-my own big hands,,6-stink bugs,7-grass hoppers,8-an East wind,,9-squash bugs,,10-fungus on blossom end

Didnt have to tell kids to stay away but once this year....^_^

7/17/2002 1:47:59 PM

North Ga

People, They always want to touch my pumpkins. They don't want to be touched by anyone but me at this point!! LOL!

7/17/2002 1:56:40 PM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Well. lessse here, I must admit I have few pests here, but some threats to growing pumpkins here are: Hail, early frosts ( Aug 21 comes to mind) (or late spring frosts), deer, moose, skunks, moles, gophers, drought (like this year, the worst in more than 120 years) my own stupidity. I've yet to see an insect pest here.
Pumpkins are a growth industry!!!

7/17/2002 2:12:23 PM

Andover Mass

well iam going to say hail and excessive heat seems all the bug problems can be controlled with a good spray program

7/17/2002 2:31:54 PM

Cooks Creek, Manitoba, Canada

Cold spring weather, high winds, excessive rain, Cuke beetles, and neighbors using herbicide incorrectly (too much and when its too windy - but try to tell them that).

7/17/2002 3:13:25 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I would say Cuke beetles. never had any other pest as of yet

7/17/2002 9:42:00 PM

Yukon, Canada

cold, cold, cold...but what are you going to get North of 60 eh? Good Luck with your project, Vaughan

7/18/2002 12:25:31 AM

Deer Park WA

I have not heard of any cuc beetles, vine borers etc. here in the Pacific North West (where a lot of world records come from) so I would like to see you concentrate your efforts on the pesky sparrow problems I have been endurring that way I will be able to figgure out how to beat the Emmons,the Hollands!!!! And you to Stan........

7/18/2002 1:31:27 AM

Kuna, Id.

Beer, braging, And darkness. This happened my first yr. "Get the flashlight I gotta show you this big ol pkn, I no its here some where.Where the h*!! is it.........ocrap I just stepped on it." New sign "NO BEER IS TO ENTER PKN PATCH"
Ken

7/18/2002 1:41:30 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Wind is top of the list here,I've had to control slugs and moles so far but no damage from them.

7/18/2002 9:18:56 AM

South Hill, Virginia

Hellish temperatures.

7/18/2002 12:03:46 PM

Kennett Square, PA

For the record, greatest challenge I've had is to acclimate my wife into accepting reasonable looking environmental covers in my patch. Have accomplished this with little money but much ingenuity (see posting July 26 on shade covering).

Gary

7/26/2002 10:57:22 PM

Ga.

Well Joe,,after tonight,,enemy #1 has to be mankind..Someone broke my stem off in town tonight...So I guess people are #1...

7/27/2002 2:50:00 AM