Squash Vine Borer

I lost several plants to squash vine borer last year, and they must have remembered where the squash plant buffet is, because I lost a bunch more again this year. The plants wilt, then start dropping leaves and blossoms, and finally die. If you look closely at the picture above you can see the tan/brown spot where the larva tunneled into the stem. There was a lot of frass, too, but it doesn't show up well in the picture.

I pulled the infected plants and threw them in the trash. Hopefully the larvae didn't have time to depart - once they've eaten their fill they burrow into the ground and come out next year to lay eggs on a new generation of plants. I think next year I'll try moving them and putting some floating row cover over them to prevent the bugs from laying on them. In the meantime I planted a bunch more and they are doing great, loving the hot summer weather.