I found white eggs (lots!) under cucumber leaves yesterday, and the ants are hoarding around them. I tried to wash the eggs off the leaves, but only some of the bigger ones came off. I can't find out what they are online, because they have so many options. I need to know how to get them off and get them to stay away. I know they can't be good if the ants are protecting them. Thanks :(
My guess is squash bugs...were they in a cluster all together? I've heard using duct tape to try to pull the eggs off. Last year I just started cutting the whole leaf off, using a candle lighter to burn the eggs, and putting it in a plastic bag - sealed up and in the trash away from my property (just in case some eggs didn't get burned enough to kill them). I went out and checked under every leaf early on - after the cucs/melons/squash plants got really big it got harder to do - to know if you actually checked them all. I also would use tweezers and pick off an adult squash bugs (and cuc beetles) I would see - had an old gator-aid bottle (wide mouth makes it easier) with some soapy water that I would put the bugs in to drown. Used it for Japanese beetles too. It seems harsh to remove the whole leaf - but I figured its better than hundreds of squash bugs being born...
@PYehl: After reading your post I looked up squash bugs. The picture of eggs looks closer than anything else I found, but these eggs aren't as dark. They are almost clearish white. The ones I found on google for squash bugs were brown. But they were all clumped together like that.....As for the squash bugs- we call them stink bugs here. These critters are ALLOVER the place here. They are infested in all the fruit trees on the peaches and apples. Are they bad for it? Plus we have them in the house too. Can't seem to get rid of them. Are these the squash borers everybody on here talks about or are those different?
Stink bugs are more shield shaped than sqush bugs but their eggs are white. Get those rubber gloves out and crush them all or do like Peggy suggested and get rid of the leaves. It will be a much bigger headache if they hatch out.
@RoriTx: ok I wil have to put my gloves on and squish them, but I would worry about cutting a leaf off. WHat if my plant dies? They're aren't many leaves yet!
look up stink bug eggs - they love cucs and squash - one way to rid yourself of these pests altogether is nicotine water. Nicotine water is another good solution to get rid of stink bugs from your house and garden area. In order to prepare nicotine water, one needs to fill half a gallon of lukewarm water with half a packet of cigarettes, and allow the solution to gel for 10 to 20 minutes. Add a teaspoon of detergent powder after filtering the nicotine solution by 2-3 layers of a cheese cloth. This will act like a poisonous solution for stink bugs, and kill them upon interaction. It is also advisable to wear gloves while in contact with nicotine water to prevent any kind of skin allergies. Also make sure to wash the fruits and vegetables nicely before use, if you have used nicotine water on them.
@Cyndi: No way! I know that stinks! yuck you do that? I think I prefer the stink bugs. What so they do anyway. I see them out on the peach tree but I haven't noticed anything bad.
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