[sunshineband]

It is the year of the maggot round here!!

I have had seven strng looking squash plants collapse after being out in the ground for a couple of weeks, apparently growing well.

When I cut open the stem section under the ground, which was beginning to rot, there were dozens of tiny maggots inside feeding. Yuck.

I haven't been able to identify them. Does anyone have an idea please?

[Maarten]

Hi,

I just had the same discovery here with a batch of white Serbian pole bean plants.
After having a good look at them, it seemed to me that they were first attacked at the bottom part of the stem by slugs, after which I guess the flies have laid their eggs and the maggots have a party eating the lower stem and the upper roots. I did find some plants with signs of healed slug damage, which then did not have any maggots, and any plant with maggots did have signs of slug damage. I think it took about 1/3 of my bean seedlings.

Would this fit with what your plants look like?

Maarten

[sunshineband]

Not quite as there seemed to be no slug damage Maarten. The stem was a bit on the thin side and when I cut it open there are all the maggoty beasts about 2-3mm long. They are not sciarid flies either.

I have sent for some mixed nematodes in the hope that one of them likes eating these things!

Glad some of your beans survived