Identification

• Squash bugs are a little more than 1/2-inch long, and the adults are brownish black in color. The nymphs -- the immature bugs -- have green abdomens and reddish heads. In another nymphal stage, they are grayish white with very dark antennae. You might notice these different colored bugs, but understand that they are all the same insect.
  
  

Damage

• The mere presence of squash bugs doesn't guarantee that the plants will die, but a large enough infestation that goes completely unchecked will likely result in plant death. The squash bugs suck nutrients from the leaves and interrupt the gourd's nutrient and water flow. The first sign of damage will be wilt. Once the bugs are under control, the plants should bounce back.
  
  

Hand Picking Bugs and Eggs

• Home garden infestations are easily controlled by removing the bugs by hand and getting rid of the eggs. The bugs like to hide under logs or flat pieces of wood at night. Simply placing these items or something similar, like shingles or scraps of plywood, next to the affected plants will lure the bugs to them at night. Early in the morning, simply lift the pieces of wood and drop the bugs into a bucket of water to drown them. The bug's eggs are found on the undersides of leaves in the notches of leaf veins. They are shaped like miniature footballs and resemble them in color, too, according to the University of Minnesota. Scrape them from the leaves and destroy them.
  
  

Sanitation

• Because the bugs prefer to overwinter and hide under logs, dead leaves and old vines, keeping a tidy garden is one of the best methods of prevention because it doesn't provide the habitat the bugs need. Keep the area immediately around the gourd patch clear of such items and you'll notice fewer, if any, bugs in following seasons.
  
  

Tips

• If this year's gourds won't survive the squash bugs, start planning for next year. Clean up the garden. Ask your local gardening guru to recommend gourd varieties that are resistant to squash bugs. And remember, healthy plants are more likely to survive an infestation than those that are stressed from improper watering, heat or poor placement.