Look Out, The Bugs Are Here!

UPDATE:  The bugs are insane this year.  Maybe because of the heat? I'm thinking that I'm infested becasue with such a small farm, even if you rotate crops, the area the bugs have to  travel to find their treats isn't really that far even on little bug legs...sssssssssooo  if dug deep into my pockets and purchased beneficial nematodes! ARBICO NemAttack and NemSeek which are two types of microscopic nematodes that attack  cutworm, termites, fea's, flying bugs, grubs root weevils. It comes in a refrigerated ziplock powder form, and you reconstitute it with water and spray on a wet soil.  I used only part of my zip lock portion and have been trying to multiply my bounty by growing them in a aerated compost tea brewer with compost, molasses, some fungi..... I'd give them Cheetos if that would work.  I notice a drastic drop in the bugs within a few days, both the cucumber beetle and the Japanese bettle are few and far between - hopefully it's my nematodes.  I'm going to apply small portions every two or three weeks, and introduce them to the compost pile too as maybe they will over winter in it's heat.  I wish i knew someone who had experience with this, there's very little online and I'm like a mad scientist here on the cape with my aerated compost tea brewer I whipping up all sort of beneficial brew.

 Original Post  6/23/2010

The great attack of the vegetable garden has begun.   I haven't seen the black squash borer yet, but I'm sure he's here.  The yellow striped cucumber bug is all over everything in my garden.  I usually just let the bugs eat what they want, and live with their leftovers, but they are going nuts this year, so I've brewed up another of my concoctions. I made my own insecticidal soap spray.  I simmered dried hot pepper in water, added some chopped garlic. After 15 minutes, I added about a cup of canola oil and  approximately 1 cup of shredded ivory soap. Stir till blended, then I strained it of the bits and pieces so they wouldn't clog my sprayer.  I'm hoping for success, but only tomorrow will tell whether this works or not.  Either way, it will be time to replant some more squash. Have you any success with these variants, plz leave your ideas in the comments for us all to share.