A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Squash blooms all eaten...

Hello Everyone! I'm so glad I found this forum. I hope someone can help.

I live in Northern CA (Gilroy), roughly 20 miles south of San Jose. We have a nice sized, raised bed vegetable garden in our backyard. We have a variety of things planted: tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, bells, strawberries, etc.

The last 3 mornings, we've come out to find the remnants of a feast. Some little critter is eating all of the *male* squash blooms. We have a ton of vegetables in all sizes, all around those squash plants, but nothing has been touched except the squash blooms. No nibbles on the green tomatoes. Nothing touching the ton of cucumbers &/or peppers hanging on their plants.

We live one street over from some grassy foothills, which I know are full of critters. We know there are field mice & rats in the general area, as we see them from time to time. I just don't see mice/rats being that particular, and just eating the squash blooms. We put out a few mouse traps the last couple nights, but caught nothing.

Any ideas? Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
Jodi

I have the same problem too. I think it's beetles that are eating the flowers.

hmmm.... After lots of internet searching, that is an option we came up with as well. Either a beetle or some sort of caterpillar/worm. The only trouble with this theory is that we never see any beetles or bugs out there at all! They could be super at hiding or invisi-bugs. :)

A friend of mine runs a local, large nursery here in Morgan Hill. He thinks it's probably a squirrel or wild rabbit. The same thing happens at their nurseries all the time. They have those trap & release cages all around & have to relocate critters all the time.

Since I posted my original message, the critter (or whatever it is) came back once (the night before last). Nothing last night & nothing is ever eaten or attacked during the day. It's only usually between 1-5am. <shrug!!>

I'm so sad that we won't have an abundance of yellow squash this summer. Although, my kids aren't so torn up at all. hehe.. :)

I did't get any zucchini because of whatever iseating the flowers.Perhaps it's slugs.

Ciao all-

Any Italians in your neighbourhood? We love to eat squash blossoms.

I am not italian but yes I have---pumpkin blossoms are good as well, battered & deep fried.--