How does Natasha Nicholes’s method for managing squash vine borers outperform traditional techniques?

Hi, I’m Natasha Nicholes. How can I help?

When I deal with squash vine borers, I focus on early identification and targeted trapping, instead of just reacting once plants are dying. I look for the bright moth and its single copper eggs on stems, remove and destroy them, and I use yellow bowls of water as traps to catch the adults flying around.

Traditional techniques often rely on broad chemical sprays or waiting until vines wilt and then trying to cut larvae out of stems. By contrast, my approach:

• Catches adults before they lay many eggs
• Protects pollinators by avoiding broad pesticides
• Fits into an overall organic, hands-on garden system

Would you like me to walk you through a step‑by‑step routine for the whole season?