How do I rid my garden of squash bugs?

Neem Oil works well: https://amzn.to/2qOEhST

Hope this Helps! Jeremy - https://do-daddy.com

I'm in SC, too. Once those bugs find you they never seem to go away. Clean up your garden really well for the winter. Use a spade to turn your soil in Jan to expose bugs that may be overwintering. Vine borers are a real problem, too. Check the stems for frass, You can protect them by mounding the soil up around them as they grow. Plant in July, the first hatchings are over and done with. If there is nothing for them to eat, they move on. You can use kaolin clay to protect the plants from sucking insects. It looks atrocious, but it does help. Police the plants daily to hand pick the adults. Use a very mild diluted (Palmolive) soap spray for nymphs, knocks them right down. I use duct tape to remove the eggs, it pulls them right off and into a bucket of soapy water they go. Using poisons will eventually reduce your yield as the bees will die, too. No pollination, no fruit.

"You can also help control squash bugs by planting repellent plants with your squashes. Two of the most common plants that repel squash bugs are nasturtiums and white icicle radishes. ... Other plants such as oregano, marigold, calendula and dill can also provide some protection and deter squash bugs in your garden. Plant them throughout your squash beds for the best results."

https://thefreerangelife.com/control-squash-bugs/

If possible, don't mulch your plants as they hide in the mulch. If you use Diatamceous earth, use food grade. Once wet it doesn't work though.

"Place a board or shingle in the garden at night. During the night, both adults and nymphs will congregate underneath the board. Squash between two hard surfaces in the morning and dispose."

"Consider keeping vines covered until blossoming begins. Remove the cover for pollination needs. There is only one generation of squash bugs per year, and you can avoid them by covering your plants for the first month of spring. You can also delay planting your squash until the early months of summer."

https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-bugs#

Here is a great trap & info on an early planting

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/homemade-methods-getting-rid-squash-bugs-75209.html

Scented dryer sheets hung from the plants will keep them away.

Make a spray of Neem Oil and water and spritz the plants including the tops and undersides of the leaves.

We use a few different tactics, but it sounds like you're facing vine squash borers, which are different from squash bugs. Here's an article I have on some ways to battle them: https://thekitchengarten.com/protect-squash-zucchini-vine-squash-borer/ Good luck!