Squash borers are one of the most frustrating pests for many gardeners. In this post, you’ll learn all about their feeding habits, life cycle, where they come from, the damage they do, and the signs of infestation. Then I’ll show you exactly how to get rid of squash vine borers organically, and prevent them from coming back.
If you’ve ever tried growing squash in an area where squash vine borers are present, you know how disheartening it can be to find those ugly white worms inside of your plants.
Trust me, I know first hand how time consuming it can be to control garden pests like this. But there’s no reason to pull the plants, or stop growing them all together!
Yes, you can get rid of squash borers, and prevent them from coming back again. Once you understand their life cycle, and know all of the signs to look out for, it’s actually pretty easy to control and prevent them.
What Are Squash Vine Borers?
Squash vine borers (also called “squash borers” or “squash worms”) are common pests of plants in the cucurbits family, and they are very destructive. These frustrating pests are the larvae of the squash borer bug.
They get their common name, “squash vine borer”, because they bore into the vines of the plant, eating them from the inside out. A trait that makes them impossible to see, and difficult to control.
Some people get squash borers and squash bugs confused. They are both common cucurbit plant pests, but they are not the same bug.
You’ll only find squash borers inside of the plant. So, if you have bugs crawling all over your plants, those are squash bugs, and here’s how to get rid of them.
What Do Squash Borers Look Like?
Squash borers look like white worms. They have a black head and wrinkly bodies. They start out tiny, and grow to be about 1″ long.
The adults are a type of moth which, I hate to admit, is actually kinda pretty. They’re reddish-orange with black wings and black dots down the length of their back. They’re active during the day, and look like a wasp when they fly.

Large and small squash borers removed from the vine
Squash Vine Borer Life Cycle
There are four stages in the squash borer life cycle: moth (adult), eggs, larvae (borer), and pupa. They overwinter in the soil in 1″ long reddish-brown colored cocoons.
Adult moths emerge in late spring/early summer, and start laying eggs on nearby cucurbit plants shortly after.
The female squash borer moths lays her eggs at the base of the plant, where they will hatch 1-2 weeks later. The female moths can lay a lot of eggs, but the good news is that they’re only active for about a month (usually June-July).
Shortly after the eggs hatch, the tiny squash borers burrow into the stems. As they feast they grow larger, reaching their full size of about 1″ long in 2-4 weeks.
Once they are full-sized, they will leave the squash vine to pupate in the soil. Squash borers will form a cocoon in the soil, where they will remain until the following spring.
If you live in a cold climate like I do, the good news is that there’s only one generation of squash borers per year. But in warmer climates, there can two generations per year.

Baby squash borer removed from zucchini vine
Where Do Squash Borers Come From?
Since the adults can fly, squash borers could come from anywhere. They’re naturally attracted to cucurbits, since that’s their main host plant.
If squash vine borer moths are present in your area of the world, and you’re growing any type of cucurbit plant, then it’s a sure bet they’ll find your garden. This is part of what makes it so hard to get rid of squash vine borers.
What Do Squash Vine Borers Eat?
The main host plant for the squash borer moth are vegetables in the cucurbitaceae family.
Examples of cucurbitaceous veggies include all types of squash (both summer and winter), zucchini, pumpkins, gourds, as well as melons, luffa, and cucumbers.
They do love squash plants the best though (hence their name). So, it’s much less common to find them feasting on cucumber and melon plants.
The good news is that the larvae is the only stage in their life cycle where they eat plants. They are harmless in both their adult and pupa stages.
It’s most common to find squash borers eating the insides of the vines. But sometimes they will find their way into the fruit too, and destroy it from the inside out (Gross!).

Vine borer worms in a squash
Squash Borer Damage To Plants
Since they eat the plants from the inside out, squash borer plant damage is difficult to spot. At first, you may notice what looks like yellow sawdust coming out of the vines. This is squash borer poop (also called frass).
Squash borers hollow out the vines and stems as they feed. So, once the damage becomes more severe, the vines will be mushy, and may even split open.
Unfortunately, they can also bore into the fruit, causing canker wounds or soft spots. At their worst, squash borers can feed on the vine until it’s completely severed, killing the plant.

Major squash vine borer damage
Signs Of The Squash Borer
If a squash borer infestation is left untreated, the entire plant will eventually collapse and die. It’s important to get rid of squash vine borers before it gets that bad, so you’ll definitely need to know the signs to watch out for.
Squash vine borers are sneaky, and can go unnoticed for a very long time. Most people don’t know there’s a problem until their squash plants wilt or begin to die.
But don’t worry, it’s easy to spot an infestation once you know the telltale squash vine borer signs. Here are the main signs to look out for…
- Droopy leaves, or the entire plant has wilted
- Holes in the vine or stem
- Mushy yellow sawdust anywhere on the stem, vine, or the fruit
- The vine is mushy, split open, appears to be rotting, or is completely severed
- Canker wounds or soft spots on the fruit
- White worms inside squash fruit, stems, or vines
If your plant has any of these symptoms, then it’s time to take immediate action to get rid of squash borers as fast as possible.

Sawdust looking mush coming out of squash vine
How To Get Rid Of Squash Vine Borers
Don’t worry, just because there are squash borers inside of your plant doesn’t mean it has to die! With a little bit of work, you can save your plants, and your harvest.
It’s pretty easy to get rid of squash vine borers organically by using a simple, non-toxic, and very effective method that I like to call… digging those nasty suckers out of the vine.
Don’t worry, it sounds harder than it is. But it really is the only way to get them out of the plant. Here’s what you’ll need…
Supplies Needed:
- Utility knife
- Bucket (optional)
- Liquid soap (optional)
- Water (optional)
And here are the steps for getting rid of squash borers when they’re already inside the vine…
- Step 1: Slice open the vine – Carefully slice open a small part of the vine the long way using a sharp utility knife. Make a 1-2″ inch long cut just above the spot where you see the hole or sawdust mush.
- Step 2: Find the squash borers – Gently pry open the vine to look for the ugly white worm. You may spot it right away, or you might need to make the slit larger so you can search around for it.
- Step 3: Remove and kill them – Once you find a squash borer, pluck it out and kill it. You can simply squash it (pun intended!). Or, if that makes you too squeamish, then drop it into a bucket of soapy water (a few squirts of liquid soap in the water will do the trick). Sometimes it’s easier to just squish it inside of the vine than it is to remove it. That’s fine, squash borer guts won’t harm your plant.

Removing squash borer from inside of the vine
- Step 4: Look for more squash vine borers – Continue inspecting the plant to look for signs of additional borers, and repeat steps 1-3 for each one that you find. There can be several of them inside of each vine.
- Step 5: Bury the vine – Once you’re sure you’ve removed all of the squash borers, bury the injured section of the vine in dirt. Squash vines will grow new roots under the soil, and the plant will become even stronger because of it.
Remember that squash borers can be different sizes, and the smaller ones can be much harder to spot than the big fat ones.
Also keep in mind that sometimes you’ll see signs that a squash borer is inside the vine, but you can’t find anything after you cut it open.
Don’t be discouraged, maybe it already left the vine. Or maybe it was so small you squished it without seeing it. Just cover the injured part of the vine, and move on.

Buried damaged vine after removing squash vine borers
How Do You Keep Squash Borers Away?
Since they are inside the plant, pesticides (organic or otherwise) won’t work on them. So, aside from digging them out of the vine as described above, there really aren’t any effective squash vine borer control methods to try.
The best way to control squash borers is to prevent them from infesting your plant in the first place. Here are some simple squash vine borer prevention methods you can try…
Kill Squash Vine Borer Eggs
Squash borer eggs are tiny, but they’re fairly easy to spot when you’re looking for them. The eggs are flat, oval shaped, and brown in color.
You’ll usually find them at the base of the stem of young plants, but they could be anywhere on the vines of mature plants. There could be just one egg, or a few in a small cluster.
You can simply scrap the eggs off into a bucket of soapy water, or wash the vines with organic insecticidal soap to kill them. Be sure to inspect your plants regularly, and remove any new eggs before they hatch.
Related Post: Natural Garden Pest Control Remedies And Recipes

Squash vine borer eggs at the base of the plant
Try Using Squash Borer Traps
The squash borer moth is attracted to yellow. So, try placing yellow sticky traps near your squash plants to trap the adult moths before they can lay eggs on your plants.
These types of traps are completely non-toxic and safe to use in the veggie garden. They can also capture other pest insects too, which is a double bonus!
Prevent The Squash Vine Borer With Aluminum Foil
Another great way to prevent squash borers is to wrap the stems of your squash plants in aluminum foil. This will confuse the moth, and prevent her from laying eggs on your plants. Here are the steps…
- Carefully dig down into the soil about 1/4″ inch around the base of the plant
- Cut a small strip of aluminum foil, and wrap it around the entire stem of each plant
- Push the soil back around the base of the plant, covering the bottom edge of the foil
- Check the aluminum foil regularly, and re-wrap it if necessary as the plants grow larger
Use Row Covers For Squash
Putting row covers over the top of young plants helps to keep the squash borer moth from laying her eggs in the first place.
You can buy row covers that are made specifically for the garden, or you can make your own out of inexpensive tulle fabric.
Keep in mind that the row covers will also prevent pollinators from reaching your plants. So you can either hand pollinate your squash, or remove the row covers once the flowers start to open to allow for natural pollination.
Destroy Squash Vine Borer Pupae In The Fall
As I already mentioned, squash borers overwinter in their pupa stage, and they hibernate in the soil. So, there are a few things you can do in the fall the help get rid of squash vine borers…
- Remove and destroy all of your squash plants – especially any that have vine borer damage. Be sure to burn them or throw them into the trash, rather than putting them into your compost bin. Otherwise, the squash borers could just overwinter in there.
- Till or turn the soil in the fall to help prevent squash borers next year. This can destroy the cocoons, or expose them to hungry predators.
Grow Squash Vine Borer Resistant Plants
Well, sorta. Technically there is no such thing as a “squash borer resistant plant”. Unfortunately, all types of cucurbits are susceptible to the squash vine borer.
However, that being said, there are certain varieties that they prefer over others. They tend to really love zucchini (yellow and green), and hubbard squash the best.
Some gardeners grow those varieties as trap crops to protect the less susceptible ones. A few of their least favorite varieties are butternut, tromboncino, and crookneck.
They also don’t favor cucumbers or melons. So, if you’re tired of battling squash borers, try growing these instead.

White borer worm in squash stem
Squash Borer Control FAQs
In this section, I’m going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about getting rid of squash vine borers.
If you still have a question after reading through this post and these FAQs, then post it in the comments below. I’ll be sure to answer it asap.
Does neem oil kill squash vine borers?
Yes, it can kill the baby borers as they eat through the vine. But I do not recommend using neem oil for squash vine borers, because it’s not very effective, and it won’t work once they are inside of the vine.
It can also be toxic to bees and other beneficial insects, so I don’t recommend using it on any flowering plants.
Will diatomaceous earth kill squash vine borers?
Yes. But it’s not very effective, and won’t work once they are protected inside of the vine. So I would not recommend using diatomaceous earth for squash vine borers.
Where can I find squash vine borers?
You can find squash vine borers inside the stems, vines, or even the fruits.
Getting rid of squash vine borers can take some work, but it’s worth it to save your plants, and have an awesome harvest. Plus, now that you know how to prevent squash borers organically, it will be so much easier! You’ll be able to enjoy growing squash in your garden again.
More About Organic Garden Pest Control
- How To Get Rid Of Cabbage Worms Organically
- How To Get Rid Of Iris Borers Naturally
- How To Get Rid Of Slugs In The Garden Naturally
- How To Control Flea Beetles In The Organic Garden
Share your method for getting rid of squash vine borers in your garden, or your best squash borer prevention tips in the comments below.
Laura Harrison says
For what it’s worth I inject BT in the stem with a needle and it did kill the borers. You have to inject further up from the frassy area and let them come to the BT. No rebury required b/c you are only leaving a small hole in the stem of the plant.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, thanks for sharing your experience, glad to know that injecting BT into your squash stems worked to kill the borers!
David says
What is BT?
Amy Andrychowicz says
BT stands for Bacillus Thuringiensis. It’s a natural beneficial bacteria found in the soil that kills many types of bugs and their larvae, including squash vine borers. It’s very commonly used as a natural pest control method for organic gardeners.
Ria M. Riesner says
Laura Harrison – I do the same with injecting BT into the stems of squash plants affected by the borers. This year SVB’s destroyed 1 pumpkin plant, and attacked a couple of my zucchini plants. I seem to have caught the Zucchini SVB’s in time – I removed the borers and I inject the zucchini stems 1X week with BT. Those plants are producting new flowers and fruit, so Im hopeful! What I’m wondering is, is there an easy way to kill lingering squash vine borer eggs in potting soil? I am in particular curious if any more experienced vegetable gardeners know if pouring boiling water on potting soil used (where a squash plant affected by SVB was growing) I have multiple 20 -30 gallon containers where I am growing squash plants and I’m hoping to find a way to kill the SVB eggs (without tossing the Fox Farms Organic Ocean Forest potting soil that my squash are growing in) My squash vines seem to love that potting soil (they just get chewed up like crazy with SVB’s. I’ve put tin foil around all of the stalks of my zuchinni, cucumber, yellow crookneck squash and pumpkin plants.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Squash vine borer eggs don’t live in the soil, the adult females lay their eggs on the base of the stem of the plant. However, the borers themselves drop into the soil to pupate, and can overwinter in there. I have never tried boiling water, but I grow mine in the garden and not in pots. Turning the soil in the fall helps to expose the pupa so that birds can eat them, or they freeze when exposed to freezing cold, but it’s not going to get rid of all of them. Also, even if you could completely rid your soil of the pupa, squash borer bugs can fly, so they can still infest your plants from anywhere. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt to turn the soil once freezing temps come to your area, which could expose/kill some of them.
Taylor says
What are your thoughts on injecting stems with Bt?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I have never tried it myself, but I’ve had other readers say that they’ve had good luck using BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis) to get rid of squash borers.
David says
I have seen but only one squash bug this year as opposed to hundreds in past years.
This year I’ve used garden safe organic Neem spray. Furthermore, my original zucchini plant 🌱 is still thriving, so no beetle 🪲 bugs have destroyed it!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yay, this is great news!! So happy to hear you’ve been able to get rid of most of the squash vine borers in your garden!
R Smith says
Is there anything that can be done this fall to kill off any leftover borers? I have 1/2 acre 3rd generation garden in Northeast Georgia. Good soil. Very nice looking garden until squash collapses. Crook neck, straight neck is my primary squash. Should I light harrow up a couple of times in a week or two prior to winter to expose them? I plant rye grass for cover over winter, so I need to have some timeline. These borers are becoming a bad habit. I rotate vegetables every year. Thanks
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, you can turn the soil to kill and expose squash bugs and pupae in the soil, that will definitely help. I would also recommend spraying beneficial nematodes over your plot. They feed on soil-dwelling pests and are completely harmless to humans and animals.
Phil Marasco says
Great Article! I just went out & saw that they got me again.I had them years ago. Stopped planting squash for a few years. Haven’t had them for a few years Until Now! One of the plants, which looked good on the top, completely detached from the bottom. I tried “Taping” it together but couldn’t. It was high enough above the soil so it didn’t show any potential Root growth. .What do you suggest?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Ugh, sorry to hear the squash borers found your garden again. The only way to save the vines that are completely severed is to bury them in damp soil so they can root again. If that’s not possible, then I don’t think you’ll be able to save them. 🙁
Phil says
Thank You for your Quick Response. Wish it was better news, but i Really Wasn’t expecting it could be saved.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome.
Rachel says
Thank you so much for the advice–I am growing cucumbers this year and watching them like a hawk. I think I may see some wilting in the mid-day, so I’m starting to inspect the stems, and other websites (including university extensions) have said there’s no hope once the borers are in. SVB destroyed all my zucchini last year and my borage, too. This year I just didn’t start any cucurbits until late July. I bought seeds from Baker Creek for the Seminole squash, a wild variety that purportedly is resistant to SVB because it doesn’t have a hollow stem–might be worth looking into. I’m giving it a try this year in my 7A garden and so far it looks good, and the silver-veined leaves are beautiful, too.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Every year my squash plants become infested with vine borers, and every year I dig them out and save my plants using the steps I detailed in this article. Heck, I’ve even saved ones where the vines were completely severed by the borers. So, it is doable FOR SURE! I have no idea why others are saying there’s no hope once they’re infested, I’ve been doing this for many years with great success. I guess it would be true if you didn’t do anything, and left the borers alone to destroy the plants. Digging them out is a pain for sure, but works, so don’t give up. Hopefully planting them late works for you though, that’s a great strategy! We can’t do that in zone 4, unfortunately, or there wouldn’t be enough time for the plants to mature before frost. 🙂 Oh, and p.s., I’ve never had them attack my cucumbers, so fingers crossed yours will be fine.
Julie says
What months are they active?
Amy Andrychowicz says
The adult female squash borer moths are only active for about a month, usually about June-July. But the larvae can persist all the through fall/frost.
Dianne says
Amy, thank you. I have been operating and fighting these things for 5 years. Each year looking up more advise, moving crops around, yellow bowls this year and ready to put diatom on today. Your article was the most comprehensive to date. Showing excellent photos of the creatures life cycle, flying, eggs, timing, cutting out and replanting the infected plant. I’m in N.H. and appreciate the full monty for getting rid of these monsters. Heading down now to find some eggs to kill. Very, very good article.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks so much for you nice comment, I’m happy to hear you found my article the most comprehensive of all the ones you’ve read. 🙂 You’re welcome, and good luck getting rid of your squash borers!
Katy says
Well I sliced and operated to remove the borers that I could find. Hope it’s all of them! Darn things! I did bury the operated on parts but feel I mangled the plant; do you think they have a good chance of survival?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I completely severed a vine one time digging out the borers, and my squash plant survived it. Just make sure to keep the soil evenly moist, and they should grow new roots from the buried part of the stem.