massachusetts 

 Agricultural Experiment Station 



BULLETIN No. 218 OCTOBER, 1923 



THE 



CONTROL OF THE SQUASH VINE 

 BORER IN MASSACHUSETTS 



By HARLAN N. WORTHLEY 



The squash vine borer is a widely distributed and very serious enemy 

 of squashes and related plants. Because of the protected life of the larva, 

 which burrows within the squash stem, insecticides have been considered 

 useless in the control of this pest. The best direct remedy has been to 

 cut the borers from infested vines, a tedious and impractical treatment 

 in commercial plantings. 



This bulletin reports the discovery and application of a spraying program 

 for squash vine borer control which has given satisfactory results under 

 Massachusetts conditions, and which kills the insect in the egg stage, thus 

 protecting the plants against the slightest injury from borers. 



Publication of this Document 



approved by the 



Commission on Administration and Finance 



Requests for Bulletins should be addressed to the 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 

 AMHERST, MASS. 



