Gourd Grief

[Lone]

Hello,

I'm trying to grow gourds.  It is ideal conditions right now, still warm and rain hanging around.  The ones I planted last september died in the heat and the dry.  The 2 gourds on the vines were stung by an insect and shrivelled up.  Anyway, that is my main concern right now.  The vines are tearing away and look lovely.  But I have seen quite a few of the kinds of insects that ruined those gourds.  They are orange and black, something about the size of an average fly but skinnier and flatter on top.  I am no entymologist as you can tell but am hoping there is an aussie one out there!  Also, most of the flowers have little grubs in them, about the size of a small waxmoth grub and green or white.  A lot of the flowers are turning brown and falling off.  They are also crawling on the gourds that are growing and are marking them.  I was advised to use the non surface insect spray in the evening.  Naturally I am hesitant about insecticides but I haven't seen a bee around. I gave them one dose, but the grubs were back 2 days later. The flowers are opening late, a couple of hours before dark.  There are also bugs like large ladybirds with tiny spots but they only seem to be eating the leaves. Are there any suggestions on a safe kind of spray that could help? I am not sure what is pollinating the female flowers.  I am trying to do this manually.  Can someone please give me tips on the best method to do this in case I am not doing it right?  There are a couple of gourds managing to grow despite the troubles, so I hope I can get examples of the four or five varieties I planted.

Lone

[bud1]

mis lone spray in the evning with malithion, will kill all that are there, but then you have a hatch and everytime just spray befor they lay. the malithion only last about an hour, so the next morning completly gone

[Lone]

Thanks, Budwick.  I haven't had a chance to spray due to work, but I have some BT which I could use.  I have noticed more flowers opening and not so many grubs, so the gourds have a chance now.  And I've seen the little stingless bees (I have one hive here) crawling on the flowers in the morning and entering between the petals even when they are closed.  There are a heap of bottleneck gourds growing and one sausage so far.  And of the seeds I planted out the back I didn't think were any good, 3 have finally sprouted.

Lone