5 Fall Pests that Love Pumpkins

5 Fall Pests that Love Pumpkins

If we had to choose one official mascot for the fall season, it would have to be the humble pumpkin. This gourd is great for decorating, carving into a jack-o-lantern, and utilizing as a baking ingredient. While many of us go to a pumpkin patch or stop at the huge cardboard bins in front of grocery stores, some like to grow their own pumpkins. While this is a fun activity, it can also be a frustrating time if pests find the pumpkins first! Anyone who has grown their own fruits and vegetables will tell you about the unmatched annoyance that comes with pests ruining any amount of that year’s crops. Pumpkins are not the most targeted foods due to their autumnal growth, but there are definitely several pests that like these gourds for more than just their decorative appeal.

Cutworms

Signs: severed stems, holes in the pumpkins, small larvae living on stems or in the soil area

These worms are a gardener’s worst nightmare due to their hiding abilities and expansive diet. They enjoy all kinds of vegetables that are commonly grown in backyard gardens, such as carrots, peas, tomatoes, and peppers. Pumpkins are yet another crop that commonly fall victim to the cutworm’s voracious appetite since they also stay low to the ground while growing. Cutworms start becoming a problem during their larval stage when they eat to build up energy for the rest of their development. They like to sever young stems and stalks to create more plant debris to live inside. Cutworms can be especially frustrating for anyone who wants to sell or give their pumpkins to others, as the marks and damage they leave behind make for some underdeveloped pumpkins many times. Since they are nocturnal and live in the soil near plants, it can be very difficult to catch cutworms before they do some real damage to the pumpkins. If you do see a thick larvae hanging out near the pumpkin’s stem or top, the easiest way to determine if it’s a cutworm is to lightly tap the pumpkin near the insect. The cutworm curls up into a C-shape when disturbed, so it will do its trademark move if it thinks its pumpkin party is being threatened. 

Thrips

Signs: distorted leaves, small dark droppings on leaves, silvery tint to leaves

These garden pests have a fun name, but nothing about what they do to plants is enjoyable. Thrips are one of the smaller pumpkin pests, and are typically too small to see with the naked eye, despite their yellow-brown color. The larvae are even smaller, but just as destructive. Thrips mainly stick to the leaves and greenery part of the pumpkin, but they can also enjoy a taste of the younger fruit. Fun fact (or aggravating fact): thrips are the primary transmitters of tomato spotted wilt virus. This plant disease is shown through blotches and bronze spots on the leaves and ripe fruit of various food plants. The most commonly affected crops are tomatoes and onions. Thrips transmit it when they feed on infected fruits before moving on, and they can carry this disease for their whole lives! This is why it is better to avoid planting pumpkins near any other vegetables in general, as thrips can make their way from one crop to another and lay waste to the garden if they are left alone long enough.

Squash Bugs

Signs: small bugs crawling on the pumpkins, yellow or dark spots on leaves, wilting of leaves

Possibly the most obvious pumpkin pest is the squash bug, if only for its name. They enjoy all parts of the pumpkin, which means they can deal the most damage to the crop in greater numbers. The squash bug is interestingly often mistaken for the boxelder due to its coloring and body shape. Squash bugs are dark gray with orange and black stripes or a gray-brown color, very similar to the common stink bug and boxelders. But squash bugs are differentiated through their love for pumpkins and other squash-like fruits, while boxelders tend to stick with boxelder trees and their leaves. Squash bugs overwinter and then lay red eggs under the leaves of developing fruits in order to give their larvae immediate food. They drink the sap from leaves and stems, gradually causing the plants to lose their vital juices and wilt. Since squash bugs like to hide under mulch when they aren’t feeding, they can be difficult to spot until it is too late for your poor pumpkins. But you will definitely see them feeding if they have the chance, as they can be found crawling all over the gourds. 

Cucumber Beetles

Signs: small holes in leaves, holes in the pumpkins, wilting, visible damage on leaves and pumpkins

Pumpkins are not cucumbers the last time we checked, and it seems that no one told the cucumber beetles that fact. They do enjoy eating dark zucchini, but cucumber beetles also like pumpkins a lot. They eat all parts of the pumpkin, which is likely why they are the most common pumpkin pests. Cucumber beetles look interesting as well, with their yellow or green coloring and black and yellow stripes. They overwinter in the soil around the crops, then become extremely active in warm weather and start eating the roots and young sprouts. The adult cucumber beetles are the most destructive and can stunt the growth of any plant they feed on. If any plants or fruits survive the attack of the cucumber beetle larvae, the grown beetles will take care of the ripe fruit. It is possible to find the beetles before they attack the crops if you till the soil. They begin to find their overwintering spots in fall, so tilling before the cold weather sets in is a great way to make sure your crops won’t be devoured as soon as spring arrives.

Aphids

Signs: honeydew spots, sooty mold on honeydew, curling leaves, yellow or distorted leaves, less pumpkins overall than usual

Possibly the most well-known garden pest out there, aphids also plague pumpkin plants in warm weather. They drink the sap from all kinds of plants, and manage to evade predators and eradication by hiding underneath the leaves. This is why any plant that has aphids is often stunted in growth, as their vital juices are slowly drained. Aphids and whiteflies are quite similar in their eating habits and how they stay hidden for so long, which is also how they can prevent pumpkins from growing to their rotund potential. Although aphids reproduce quickly and kill many plants every year, the good news is that they are naturally controlled by insect predators and cooler weather. The circle of life in the insect world is still present in the fall season, so predators like ladybugs and lacewings are effective in keeping the aphid population down. Pumpkins may be large gourds, but they can’t efficiently grow if their sap is being devoured by tons of tiny green bugs!

Life is “Gourd” When You Have Pest Control!

No matter which pests are plaguing your pumpkins, pest control services can help. When growing pumpkins, it helps to have proper draining and to try growing the pumpkin vines vertically instead of horizontally. Also, planting pumpkins in later summer is rumored to be the best time, as it is after the bulk of pests have gone through their main mating and reproducing season. Having a few pests crawling all over some pumpkins is already a nuisance, but the situation can get much worse if they turn to a house or business for their next home. Our pest control technicians are prepared for all kinds of pest issues, and our EPA-approved treatments will keep them away without leaving harmful chemicals behind for your family. Contact us to learn more about how we can provide you with a pest-free fall season, so you have more time to pick pumpkins and spend less time picking up after pests!

Citations

Baessler, L. (2022, June 20). Pumpkin insect control – Dealing with pumpkin insect pests. Gardening Know How. Available at https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pumpkin/pumpkin-insect-pests.htm (Accessed on September 23, 2022).

DeAngelis, Z. (n.d.). 7 bugs and insects that love eating pumpkins (repel them!). Pest Pointers. Available at https://pestpointers.com/bugs-and-insects-that-love-eating-pumpkins-repel-them/# (Accessed on September 23, 2022).

Eco Care. (2020, October 19). Pumpkins and pests: How to protect your gourds from scary bugs. Eco Care Pest Management, Inc. Available at https://www.ecocarepest.com/pumpkins-and-pests-how-to-protect-your-gourds-from-scary-bugs/ (Accessed on September 23, 2022).

Plante, A. (n.d.). How to grow pumpkins. HGTV. Available at https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/vegetables/growing-pumpkins (Accessed on September 23, 2022).

Pumpkin. (n.d.). PSU Plant Village. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/pumpkin/infos 

Tomato spotted wilt. (2013, December). UC IPM. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/tomato/Tomato-Spotted-Wilt/