Good information Downslope. Sounds like you are knowledgeable regarding pumpkins. I'm a rookie but have become interested in this pumpkin thing. In fact, I'm thinking about maybe even trying to sell some next year if I have enough growing success. Nothing big but maybe I can put a little money in my grandson's college fund if I am able to sell some.
Where are you located? Do you grow commercially or just for fun? Thanks for your input into my pumpkin thread.
Jerry, I am growing the pumpkins about 80 miles from New york City. I'm growing them commercially, but it is also for fun as we rarely turn a big profit when you consider all the inputs. I used to sell them wholesale when our area was rural, but in the last 15 years it has become heavily suburbanized and I can sell almost all of them retail. I plant between 9-13 acres every year depending on crop rotations. I don't push for high production and keep the rows 10 feet apart.
You were asking about beetles later in the season when the vines are large. Beetles pose the most danger when the plants are just coming up because (1) they can eat everything down to nothing being left and (2) they vector mosaic virus which can ruin most of the crop. Beetles are more attracted to some varieties than others. They definitly prefer things like Hubbard squash, turban squash and Big Max/Prizewinner types which are a different species from regular jack-o-lanterns. I have seen some farmers plant Hubbard Squash or Turban Squash at the field edges as a trap crop and then zap them with insecticide.
Later in the season (like now) the plants will grow faster than the beetles can eat them but you still have the virus threat although not as great. The real danger late in the season is when the vines start to die due to old age, mildew or whatever. If there are no tasty vines to eat the beetles will move onto the fruit and start eating the rind surface and then you will have to do something.
Like I said, I have the rows planted 10 feet apart. I have a sprayer that can take 30 feet, so I just drive thru every 3rd row and mash some. It does some damage but it also thins out some of the crop. I would like to have a wider sprayer or maybe one with a 1-sided boom. I don't know how wide your patch is, but maybe you could modify your sprayer to have some type of 1-sided boom supported by a frame over the sprayer or maybe even the tractor roll bar or fender mount (just thinking of crazy ideas1).
I'm not having any bug problems right now as I used insecticide treated seed, but if beetles start to show up I will have to use insecticide before harvest.
I have about 10 bee hives so have to be careful with pesticides. Read the labels, spray late in day when blossoms are closed and bees are back at the hive, etc.
Good luck wih your crop.
