Adults and nymphs feed in colonies, sucking plant juices, and injecting a toxic substance which causes vines to turn black and dry. When infestations are heavy, small plants and individual runners may be destroyed, fruit may not form, and, if it does, bugs may feed on it. Squash bugs overwinter as adults and in the spring fly into gardens and mate. Bronze-colored eggs are laid in groups usually on the undersides of leaves, in the angles formed by leaf veins. Nymphs which hatch from the eggs are green with rose-colored to dark appendages.
Larger nymphs are grayish white with dark heads, legs and antennae.
Wing pads are visible on the last two instars. Five to eight weeks are required for development from egg to adult. Only one generation occurs each year, but because of the extended egg-laying period, adults and nymphs are present throughout the summer. Small boards or shingles placed near plants provide a nighttime gathering place for squash bugs, which can be removed and destroyed in the morning. Other cultural practices which lessen damage from this bug include proper fertilization for a vigorous crop, destruction of crop debris, and growing resistant varieties such as Butternut, Royal Acorn, and Sweet Cheese.