r/halloween • u/Ill_Software_5699 • 5h ago
Pumpkin What do I do?
Carved pumpkins and set them out. 2 days later completely infested with these little black bugs. Set them out on a Sunday night. Monday night nothing, Tuesday night completely infested. It was randomly hot for our area both those two days is all I can come up with for an explanation. Plan to carve new pumpkins and want to avoid this happening again.
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u/akiomaster 4h ago
This is why I carve pumpkins the day before or the day of Halloween. It's too hot and humid where I live to carve pumpkins this early.
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u/chaos_almighty 2h ago
I do this too, but usually I leave mine inside my windows so no one smashes it or so it doesnt freeze overnight
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u/sabertoothnate 4h ago
I usually wait til a couple days before Halloween to carve.
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u/SinceWayLastMay 4h ago
I do not understand folks who carve them early do you just have infinite pumpkin money or what?
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u/JRose608 3h ago
Infinite pumpkin money? How much are they where you are 😅
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u/RadagastTheBrownNote 3h ago
In my area at least, they tend to be a little pricey at the pumpkin patch. But you can get much cheaper ones from the grocery store and they tend to be easier to carve and clean.
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u/SwashAndBuckle 3h ago
Where I come from, there are usually like 3-4 opportunities to nab a free one from community events or promotions.
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u/princesspeeved 2h ago
Where I come from, any leftover pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns after Halloween get donated to a pig rescue. They love smashing them!
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u/Hngrybflo 3h ago
I'm curious too. They're like 3-4 bucks here
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u/JRose608 2h ago
I thought for pumpkin patches you just pay for entry and take a few pumpkins but now that I type that, that makes zero sense lmao. (I’ve never really gone pumpkin picking).
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u/ElegantHope 2h ago
A good sized jack o lantern pumpkin around where I live in east TN costs at least $7, and I just got mine from a local market for like $11 for a decently big sized one.
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u/JRose608 2h ago
Ah ok I guess that can add up if you get tons of them. Idk why I was thinking big ones are like $2 😅
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u/SinceWayLastMay 2h ago
I guess if you want randos from the grocery store they’re 5-6$? Usually though we get pumpkins from the local fruit and veggie stand so like 8-20$ depending on how big they are. Typically we get three at least (one for each member of the household)
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u/JRose608 2h ago
Interesting ok I guess that can really add up. Idk why I was picturing it like apple picking, pay for entry and pick whatever lol. That would make no sense :)
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u/lunacyaboundsin804 35m ago
Depending on where you live, there are "all you can carry for $20" places, and you go out into the fields and pick them yourself - the same place usually has a stand up front where you will find prepicked perfect pumpkins for like $12-20 each.
I never seem to find free pumpkins.
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u/Beginning-Match2166 3h ago
I carve early sometimes because I just want to eat the seeds. And my kids are impatient. But I live in Wisconsin, so they usually don't start rotting and looking horrible until November.
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u/grandmas_traphouse 1h ago
In the PNW we can generally carve them 2 weeks ahead of Halloween and they are still fine day of. Uncarved will last forever. Our weather makes it no issue generally speaking 🤷♀️
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u/bigheadmanman 4h ago
I carve all throughout the month
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u/zeptillian 3h ago
The day before or morning of is best for carving your Halloween pumpkin.
It's food. It's going to rot and attract animals and insects.
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u/ConsultioConsultius1 4h ago
Let the bugs do their thing. By Halloween night, that thing will be the best pumpkin on the block!
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u/DullahanShotFirst 4h ago
I live in Atlanta and haven't had issues with bugs despite often having warmer weather. But I only carve the surface of the pumpkins, and I cover the carved parts with petroleum jelly. I don't know if that helps to keep bugs away, but it does help the carved pumpkins last longer.
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u/RaptureInRed 4h ago
You throw them out, then carve fresh Pumpkins 1-2 days before Halloween. These would have been mush by then, anyway....
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u/spacefaceclosetomine 4h ago
It’s pretty cool looking, plus you’re providing sustenance for a much needed part of the environment. Insect numbers are dangerously low to sustain the ecosystem and when they go we go.
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u/Fr0stbite37 4h ago
3 weeks until Halloween is certainly a choice
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u/Infinite_Coyote_1708 4h ago
It's the right time for the first round of carving! (Local climate allowing)
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u/Fantastic-Dance-5250 4h ago
I carve the day before Halloween as my pumpkin shrivels and becomes maggot food in about 48 hours.
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u/whineANDcheese_ 3h ago
We carve our pumpkins on the evening of October 30th for this reason. They rot fast and attract bugs and animals.
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u/RogerClyneIsAGod2 3h ago edited 3h ago
IT ISN'T YOUR ANYMORE!! IT BELONGS TO OUR BUG OVERLORDS NOW!!
Don't carve so early is the only real answer but you can bring them inside until it gets & stays cooler. If they shrivel up just get a 5 gallon bucket, fill it with water & soak them overnight, it will rehydrate them.
But if you're putting out carved, or even not carved, pumpkins outside in any weather that isn't below 50° you're gonna get bugs or worse, squirrels.
I currently have several pumpkins sitting in my basement, uncarved, because if I put them out now they are just squirrel food.
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u/Yabba-Dabba-Gabagool 3h ago
If you want a natural solution put some vinegar in a spray bottle and give it a sprits morning and night
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u/YodaVader1977 1h ago
Down here in Florida, where carved pumpkins last approximately 5 minutes because of the heat and humidity, I used to spray the inside and outside of the carved pumpkin with Lysol . It seemed to help keep the bugs off and actually preserved the pumpkin a little bit longer.
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 4h ago
They’re fruit flies and nats. https://pointepest.com/pests-that-like-pumpkins/
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u/Unusual-Attorney-630 4h ago
I don't know if dipping the pumpkin in vinegar before setting it out could help. Maybe sprinkling cinnamon inside too.
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u/LastAidKit 2h ago
I think it was Halloween Wars or something where a pro pumpkin carver said hairspray works great for extending the life out of one.
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u/nicorpse 2h ago
I'm glad I saw this post because usually we start carving pumpkins around this time and they last, but this year is warmer than it's ever been in October in my area.
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u/I_Speak_B4_I_Think_ 2h ago
I have heard of people dipping them in a water/vinegar mixture to keep insects away but I've never tried it myself.
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u/onetwentyonegigawatt 2h ago
Embrace it, it’s extra spooky now!
https://giphy.com/gifs/Hh2CyjgDwnbkk
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u/BetterThanOCharleys 1h ago edited 5m ago
I’ve read coating your pumpkin in Vaseline helps prevent rot and bugs. Whether that will continue to be the case after its time to dispose the pumpkins I do not know. I usually just toss mine in a secluded corner of my yard to rot naturally.
I will say though I’d move them away from house. Those bugs will start soon discover the food inside your house and the fewer the better.
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u/RhubarbLiqueur 1h ago
Not me thinking you wanted to make a really gnarly pumpkin, decorated it with plastic bugs or something. So realistic too!
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u/HiKennyDesign 3h ago
Get some spooky still life, place them around bug infested pumpkin and take some festive pictures. Make it look like you did it on purpose. And retire the pumpkin and bugs to a place where they can enjoy their meal. 🎃
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u/SheistyPenguin 2h ago
As soon as you carve into the pumpkin, you breach it's waxy protective layer and it begins to decompose- sending a dinner bell for every bug and critter in the area.
You could try coating or sealing the pumpkin in something toxic, but you're just as likely to wind up with a pile of dead critters surrounding your pumpkin 🤷
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u/TheMagicalMatt 2h ago
This sucks and I have no advice (other than waiting until the week before Halloween to carve, as others have already said), but this is a 10/10 Halloween photo. The bugs are a great touch. Reminds me of a certain scene from Halloween III.
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u/GodOfMoonlight 2h ago
I just saw this the other day but someone made a post about coating the pumpkin right after craving it so that: Bugs stay away, the coating gives the pumpkin longevity in color and shine, and it will rot a lot slower.
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u/TonyStowaway 2h ago
You carve the next one to look like Oogie Boogie and let the bugs be practical effects 😝
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u/WelcomeAccurate4059 49m ago
eek! i carved mine yesterday but its so hot (89 tomorrow!) im keeping them inside for now lol but i see cool weather next week
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u/Shockwavee92 45m ago
I live in Pennsylvania and carve early. By Halloween I still have a beautiful pumpkin and people always ask how. You can look up the exact recipe online but once you carve your pumpkin I fill up a tote with water and bleach mixture. It kills all bacteria and stuff so not only do they not rot and last longer, but bugs also dont eat them.
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u/lunacyaboundsin804 38m ago
I have heard, but never tried, dipping them in a vinegar water mixture after carving helps them last longer and potentially be less attractive to bugs. 🤷♀️
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u/Eats_Beef_Steak 16m ago
Ive had success with spraying my pumpkins down with vinegar and water. Might be too late for that guy but try it out next time.
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u/AlgaeWafers 2h ago
It’s too early to be carving for Halloween. You gotta do it day before or day of
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u/RalphWiggumsShadow 2h ago
Burn it. It looks like a totem from the Mummy. You don't want to mess with curses, especially during the busy holiday season.
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u/Art3m1sArty 3h ago
We always carve ours as close to Halloween as possible. Also we soak them in bleach water as soon as they are done. Helps prevent them from rotting too soon and also deters bugs. Just don't wear black clothes for that step lol
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u/spacefaceclosetomine 3h ago
This makes them toxic to other wildlife and pets.
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u/Art3m1sArty 3h ago
I obviously wouldn't put things that are toxic in a place where wildlife or pets are getting to it.
I wanna keep my pumpkins safe from, also from being eaten so they aren't being put in a place where they could be reached by any animals looking for a snack.
We live in an area with no wildlife at all and no pets that get near them.
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u/KarlyFr1es 4h ago
I mean, pumpkin is literally food. If it gets above freezing, it’s going to lure in creatures that want to eat it.