Shriveling Baby Yellow Squash: Likely Fruit Fly Damage

Squash fruit shriveling at 1.5 inches with healthy plants suggests fruit fly larvae. The flies lay eggs on young fruit; hatched worms bore inside.

Diagnosis

• Cut open a shriveling fruit; look for small white worm and entry hole.
• Check for tiny indentations on fruit surface.

Management

• Remove and destroy affected fruit.
• Use row covers early to exclude flies.
• Apply kaolin clay (Surround) as a barrier.
• Rotate cucurbit crops yearly.

Cultural Practices

Continue proper watering, fertilizing, and soil testing. The issue is likely pest, not culture.