The squash vine borer is unrelated to the squash bug. All they have in common is exploitation of the same group of plants. Symptoms of infestation are a sudden wilting of the vines or the accumulation of moist, white sawdust around the base of the plant. The squash vine borer is a moth that resembles a wasp. In early summer they fly during the day to visit plants and lay their eggs on the outside of the stems.
Tiny caterpillars tunnel into the plants and remain inside for the rest of the summer.
At about the time harvest is complete the borers leave the stems and burrow into the soil to spend the winter. Management Options Protecting squash and pumpkin vines from these insect pests is difficult. Both pests must be prevented rather than cured. If the insects are grown and the damage is already severe, there is little that can be done to save the plants. Squash bug and vine borer damage may be severe, but infested plants are often able to live and produce in spite of insect activity.