If you have wilted yellow leaves that are not due to hot sun or lack of water, the cause may be squash borers which turn into narrow-winged olive-brown 1-1 1/2 inch moths! The borers chew the inner tissue near the base and cause vines to wilt suddenly, rot, and die. If you find the moths they should be destroyed, too.
If you find that you have squash borers, try this process in the early morning on summer squash.
- Cut off the entire wilted leaf very close to the stem and find the bore embedded in the hollow stem of the leaf. An indicator as to where the borer may be is some some sawdust like substance on the ground under the neck of the plant where the stem protruded out of the ground. This is the borer's feces.
- After removing the borer with tweezers, place the bore in a jar of soapy water.
- Then, cover the entire stem of the plant with a mound of soil to promote further rooting.
- Dispose of the yellow leaves and rotted materials in a plastic bag and place in garbage.
- Never compost decayed or moldy vegetables or leave them lay on the ground.
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