How to spot it

Flat gray-brown bugs about 5/8 inch long that smell bad when crushed. The young (nymphs) are gray with dark legs and crowd together. Shiny bronze eggs sit in neat groups under leaves, often in the V between veins.

What it does

They suck sap, leaving yellow specks that turn brown. Leaves and then whole vines wilt and die back. Worst on squash and pumpkins.

What to do now

• Pick adults and nymphs into a bucket of soapy water; mornings are best.
• Scrape egg groups off with tape or a butter knife every few days.
• Lay a board on the soil overnight: the bugs hide under it and you can collect them in the morning.
• Insecticidal soap or neem kills young nymphs. Adults are hard to kill with sprays.

Keep it away next time

• Cover young plants with row cover until they flower, then uncover them for the bees.
• Clear away vines and debris after harvest so adults can't spend the winter there.
• Grow squash in a new spot each year.
• Butternut squash is less bothered than other kinds.

Helpful supplies

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Plants it affects

See also