Well, I’m about ready to pull up my garden. Despite my frustrations this morning, I was able to restrain myself after uprooting only one pathetic withering zucchini plant. There have been scenes of mass destruction out in that garden & the zucchini plant has not been the only casualty. I may be single-handedly responsible for some sort of entomological imbalance in the Florida panhandle this fall.
First the peppers, leaves chewed up & falling off. With the help of a local nursery store lady, caterpillars were ID’d as the culprits. But as much as I searched, I could never find the guilty party(ies). 
Next, the squash: holes bored into blossoms, stalks & the 2 wee squash that were actually developing. Thanks to the trusty Internets, I was able to match the destruction in the garden to the handy work of Squash Vine Borers. Very dishearteningly I also learned that sprays were of no use against these enemies & that once these little devils laid their eggs, you better work fast. So out I dashed with my garden gloves & kitchen scissors (which have now become garden scissors). Meticulously I combed through each plant looking for holes, snipping off blooms & stalks as I found them. At first I was excited to find the culprits munching away in the stalks or blooms & take them out, but as the chore wore on, my thirst for blood dwindled. Just in time my hero (Chad) arrived on scene to finish the squashing for me — with his bare hands!! Then the strawberries. Oh not the strawberries! Caterpillars again. Which is why I think I probably put a dent in the ecosystem. I have killed more caterpillars in the last few days than I ever thought possible. This morning I found a doozy. About as thick as a pencil & a couple inches long…sucking the life out of one of my tomato plants. That’s crossing the line. Chad was on base & I knew my stomach couldn’t handle the crunch between my fingers, the juicy sound of taking its life. I’m actually a little queasy thinking about it. So I threw it over the neighbors fence. Maybe I should have let Basil eat it.
For now, it seems as if I have eradicated most of the problem. Destruction is slowing down. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much that I will actually reap any produce from the garden. Most of the blooms from the squash & zucchini were destroyed. The peppers look like they are trying to make a comeback & the tomatoes & strawberries are putting out surprising amounts of new growth. Until then, I will remain vigilant & continue to take out the pests. One by one.
Adventures in a New Frontier 