This TikToker is beaming with pride after she successfully grew butternut squash without a pumpkin fly infestation — and the secret hack will shock you.
The scoop
According to TikToker Garden To Pot (@gardentopot), the pumpkin flies destroyed her last-season butternut squash crop, leaving them "full of worms."
@gardentopot When I say I'm in love ya'll 😍 Last season the Pumpkin flies stung all my butternut leaving them full of worms inside😩 This year I tried fly traps to catch them and that was a disaster 😭 (check previous video) Then I tried Panty Hose aka Stockings and 🤩 I'm so impressed! My Butternuts look perfect 🤩 . . . . . . . #butternutsquashharvest #butternutsquash #pumpkinfly #gardenpestcontrol #organicpestcontrol #homegrown #gardeningtipsforbeginners #gardentok #gardentiktok #southafricangarden #backyardgarden #growyourownvegetables #butternutlover ♬ Rush by ayrastarr - Ayra Starr
But after trying a hack that anyone can do, the TikToker says she "defeated" the pumpkin fly. According to the video, the secret may be in your sock drawer.
She shares that she covered up the butternuts with old pantyhose in order to avoid the previous season's loss to fly infestations.
"I am feeling victorious," she shares in the video. "I'm so proud. I'm so, so proud."
How it's helping
Pumpkin flies are similar to fruit flies (but look more like wasps). And, as their name suggests, they have a hankering for pumpkins and other winter squash. An infestation can destroy an entire crop, which is indeed a bummer for anyone putting in the work to grow their own food.
An infestation occurs when a pumpkin fly lays eggs in the young fruit while the skin is still soft.
The TikToker said she used fly traps last season, but they failed to prevent the pumpkin fly infestation. Plus, those traps can set you back a pretty penny, too. This popular brand costs more than $20 for two traps.
Wrapping those young fruits in your old nylon pantyhose prevents access for the pumpkin flies without damaging the fruit. If you don't have nylons at home, you can look for some at secondhand stores for cheap.
What everyone's saying
TikTokers were in awe of the hack idea.
"It literally looks flawless," one user writes.
"This is so beautiful," comments another.
"Wow, thanks for this," writes another user. "No pumpkin fly formed against you shall prosper."
Another TikToker says they can only imagine how the unblemished butternuts taste. "Well done," they add. "They look perfect."
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