Invaders

Invaders, a photo by Taproot Garden on Flickr.

Truth be told, I suppose I have been expecting them. Not, perhaps, specifically these, but garden pests of some variety. Bigger pests have preceded them, of course -- rabbits, birds and, by some evidence, a deer or two -- but this appears to be the first of the bug variety.

Curiously, they seem confined to the pumpkin plants. Studying up, I've learned that squashes are most susceptible to worm-like vine borers and squash beetles, but this critter doesn't look like either one. In fact, the closest I have come to an identification is the "spotted asparagus beetle." You be the judge.  The small inset picture is the textbook example.

If that ID is correct, they seem to have lost their way. I spent part of the morning weeding the asparagus trenches and found them completely beetle-free -- except for the occasional song on my iPod playlist by the fab four

Because I haven't heretofore been confronted by such invaders this summer I had to excavate my spray bottle of organic homemade pesticide left over from last summer. In the ensuing year, the mixture of vegetable oil, dish soap and water had separated of course, and shaking the ingredients together only manufactured an unsprayable foam, so I unscrewed the top and splashed the horticultural meringue over the offended blossoms. We'll see.

In the meantime, it will pay to keep watch. Add this to the already lengthy list of enterprises and growing organisms that don't prosper while on auto-pilot. Most things of value, I am constantly being reminded, benefit from loving attention.