The State of Horticulture Programs
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
New Red Buds from NCSU
Visit Nursery Management's video on new Red Buds being grown by Hines Nursery. Most of these came from our own NCSU Red Bud breeding program led by Dr. Dennis Werner.
Nursery Management- Redbuds
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Nursery Management- Redbuds
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Monday, September 5, 2011
New Organic Based Animal Repellents-
Check out this video on new NC produced, bio-friendly, repellents:
Caveat- We do not endorse this product nor can we vouch for its efficacy, but since it is the brain child of a former Master Gardener we wanted to share the video for your own interest and testing.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Caveat- We do not endorse this product nor can we vouch for its efficacy, but since it is the brain child of a former Master Gardener we wanted to share the video for your own interest and testing.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Vermicompost and Disease Suppression
Watch this video to understand more about the possibilities of using vermicompost for disease suppression:
There's more to making sure that your soil is alive than you might have thought.
or more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
There's more to making sure that your soil is alive than you might have thought.
or more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Soil Testing Time!
It is the time of year to consider taking a soil test. The following video gives you some simple guidelines or you can share this with your clients.
I think the guy in this video may be a poor relative of mine. Seems that I have seen him somewhere a time or two.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
I think the guy in this video may be a poor relative of mine. Seems that I have seen him somewhere a time or two.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Pest News Update July 8, 2011
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Dogwood Twig Borer Oviposition
The last couple of weeks I have noticed flagging branch tips on the red twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea 'Baileyi') in front of my house. The damage was characterized by a cleanly girdled branch with a 1 cm oviposition scar just below. Gradually the tip goes from yellow to brown then falls off. Investigation and help from our excellent diagnostician revealed a large egg within each scar containing a round-headed borer larva. This was the dogwood twig borer. Adults have been active lately laying eggs in twigs. The larvae will overwinter within twigs then continue boring down the twig pith in spring killing the affected branch. This is not likely to be a big nursery pest but should be on the radar. It is much better to identify the flagging branches now and prune out the eggs than wait until spring when a whole branch or small tree will be affected.
If you follow me on Twitter, you know this already! Follow @OrnaPests on Twitter for timely updates on ornamental pest activity.
Western Flower Thrips in Greenhouses
Thrips are a constant problem for growers, not just a problem this week. Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is the most important and damaging thrips of greenhouses and has been called the most damaging greenhouse pest in the world. This is true of greenhouse-grown food and ornamental crops. Nearly all floriculture crops are susceptible to thrips damage.
Western flower thrips reproduce rapidly and are difficult to manage because they live in the cracks and crevices of flower heads and foliage. Thus, they are difficult to contact with insecticides. Western flower thrips also develop insecticide resistance rapidly so it is important to emphasize chemical rotation and to have a resistance management plan.
Sanitation is also very important in managing thrips. Because thrips can feed and reproduce on hundreds of plant species weeds in and around a greenhouse, they have a constant supply even if the crop is sprayed. Western flower thrips pupate in soil, so cleaning up spilled potting soil and other debris can deny them a vital part of their lifecycle.
More information and chemical recommendations can be found in Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note at Note 72.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Dogwood Twig Borer Oviposition
The last couple of weeks I have noticed flagging branch tips on the red twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea 'Baileyi') in front of my house. The damage was characterized by a cleanly girdled branch with a 1 cm oviposition scar just below. Gradually the tip goes from yellow to brown then falls off. Investigation and help from our excellent diagnostician revealed a large egg within each scar containing a round-headed borer larva. This was the dogwood twig borer. Adults have been active lately laying eggs in twigs. The larvae will overwinter within twigs then continue boring down the twig pith in spring killing the affected branch. This is not likely to be a big nursery pest but should be on the radar. It is much better to identify the flagging branches now and prune out the eggs than wait until spring when a whole branch or small tree will be affected.
If you follow me on Twitter, you know this already! Follow @OrnaPests on Twitter for timely updates on ornamental pest activity.
Western Flower Thrips in Greenhouses
Thrips are a constant problem for growers, not just a problem this week. Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is the most important and damaging thrips of greenhouses and has been called the most damaging greenhouse pest in the world. This is true of greenhouse-grown food and ornamental crops. Nearly all floriculture crops are susceptible to thrips damage.
Western flower thrips reproduce rapidly and are difficult to manage because they live in the cracks and crevices of flower heads and foliage. Thus, they are difficult to contact with insecticides. Western flower thrips also develop insecticide resistance rapidly so it is important to emphasize chemical rotation and to have a resistance management plan.
Sanitation is also very important in managing thrips. Because thrips can feed and reproduce on hundreds of plant species weeds in and around a greenhouse, they have a constant supply even if the crop is sprayed. Western flower thrips pupate in soil, so cleaning up spilled potting soil and other debris can deny them a vital part of their lifecycle.
More information and chemical recommendations can be found in Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note at Note 72.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Pest News Update July 1 2011
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Fall Webworms Hatching
I found small nests of very young fall webworms, Hyphantria cunea, when I was hiking last weekend. Fall webworms feed on over 600 species of trees and shrubs. In North Carolina they are most often found on sourwood, persimmon and pecan. Fall webworms primarily cause cosmetic damage to shade trees because of the unsightly webs they form around the foliage on which they feed. Young caterpillars eat leaf surfaces so that only the tiny veins remain. This residue turns brown and collects in the web. Older caterpillars devour the entire leaf. Because they are most abundant in mid-late summer after the tree has had some time to store food, the weather is hot and rainfall less, a tree's life is rarely in danger. Fall webworms can be easily destroyed or disrupted by pulling down the webs and destroying he caterpillars if the webs are within reach of a stick or pole. This also exposes caterpillars to bird and wasp predation. Insecticides applications will not penetrate the tent so caterpillars can only be exposed by feeding on treated leaves near the nest. For additional information, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information at Note #46
Follow @OrnaPests on twitter for timely updates on ornamental pest activity.
Twospotted Spider Mites Abound!
The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, thrives in hot, dry weather like we have had lately. I have found many spider mites in the landscape . . . even on my poor Solomon’s Seal! It is important to scout for twospotted spider mites now because they reproduce most rapidly in hot dry weather. Under these conditions they can mature from egg to reproducing adult in 5 days! Nursery crops are especially susceptible because they may be exposed to more sun than landscape plants and receive more pesticides. Twospotted spider mites feed on over 100 plant species, sucking the fluid out of leaf cells. This ‘stippling’ damage can rapidly cause entire plants to take on a bronzed appearance. Look on the underside of leaves on susceptible hosts or beat foliage on a white piece of paper to scout for spider mites. If you notice mites or their damage, a range of control options are available, the best of which are several new miticides that provide long residuals and efficacy against all mite life stages. Broad spectrum insecticides will make mite populations worse by killing natural enemies. For more information and product suggestions visit the newly revised Ornamental and Turf Insect Information at: Note # 25l.
From: Emily Meineke and Steve Frank, Department of Entomology
Scale Picnic Beetles, Cybocephalus nipponicus (Endrody-Younga)
Scale picnic beetle adults are active now in North Carolina! The scale picnic beetle provides prolonged control of armored scale, such as Euonymous and San Jose scale.
C. nipponicus is native to China and Korea and was introduced into the U.S. in the 1990s to control euonymous scale. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture started a rearing program in the mid-1990s, and since its release, C. nipponicus programs have expanded. Researchers are currently using populations to control elongate hemlock scale, a serious secondary pest of hemlock stands stressed by the hemlock wooly adelgid.
C. nipponicus eat scale as larvae and as adults. Adults live for months and can reproduce several times. Staggered generations provide year-round control, and, unlike other similar beetles, C. nipponicus can survive when prey populations are low. Larvae develop and feed under waxy covers that protect them from direct exposure to pesticides. These tiny beetles are comparatively expensive to purchase, and populations establish over multiple years. However, natural C. nipponicus populations are present throughout North Carolina and provide background control of many landscape scale species.
Assassin Bugs (Family: Reduviidae)
Assassin bugs are members of the diverse, predatory family Reduviidae. They use their long stylet to pierce and liquefy caterpillars, aphids, and other pests. Several of these beneficial species live in North Carolina, including but not limited to the lurid assassin bug (Zelus luridus), the colorful assassin (Rhiginia cruciata), the masked hunter (Reduvius personatus), and the wheelbug (Arilus cristatus). Some species of assassin bug nymphs look similar to herbivorous true bugs, such as the leaf-footed bugs, that use their stylets to suck plant juices. There is a rudimentary way to tell the difference between these groups as immature insects. Pestiferous bugs that eat plants tend to congregate, while assassin bugs hunt alone.
Assassin bugs like varied plant structure to hunt within, and also high humidity. To encourage their populations on the lawn or beside the garden, you can plant tall native grasses and flowers.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Fall Webworms Hatching
I found small nests of very young fall webworms, Hyphantria cunea, when I was hiking last weekend. Fall webworms feed on over 600 species of trees and shrubs. In North Carolina they are most often found on sourwood, persimmon and pecan. Fall webworms primarily cause cosmetic damage to shade trees because of the unsightly webs they form around the foliage on which they feed. Young caterpillars eat leaf surfaces so that only the tiny veins remain. This residue turns brown and collects in the web. Older caterpillars devour the entire leaf. Because they are most abundant in mid-late summer after the tree has had some time to store food, the weather is hot and rainfall less, a tree's life is rarely in danger. Fall webworms can be easily destroyed or disrupted by pulling down the webs and destroying he caterpillars if the webs are within reach of a stick or pole. This also exposes caterpillars to bird and wasp predation. Insecticides applications will not penetrate the tent so caterpillars can only be exposed by feeding on treated leaves near the nest. For additional information, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information at Note #46
Follow @OrnaPests on twitter for timely updates on ornamental pest activity.
Twospotted Spider Mites Abound!
The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, thrives in hot, dry weather like we have had lately. I have found many spider mites in the landscape . . . even on my poor Solomon’s Seal! It is important to scout for twospotted spider mites now because they reproduce most rapidly in hot dry weather. Under these conditions they can mature from egg to reproducing adult in 5 days! Nursery crops are especially susceptible because they may be exposed to more sun than landscape plants and receive more pesticides. Twospotted spider mites feed on over 100 plant species, sucking the fluid out of leaf cells. This ‘stippling’ damage can rapidly cause entire plants to take on a bronzed appearance. Look on the underside of leaves on susceptible hosts or beat foliage on a white piece of paper to scout for spider mites. If you notice mites or their damage, a range of control options are available, the best of which are several new miticides that provide long residuals and efficacy against all mite life stages. Broad spectrum insecticides will make mite populations worse by killing natural enemies. For more information and product suggestions visit the newly revised Ornamental and Turf Insect Information at: Note # 25l.
From: Emily Meineke and Steve Frank, Department of Entomology
Scale Picnic Beetles, Cybocephalus nipponicus (Endrody-Younga)
Scale picnic beetle adults are active now in North Carolina! The scale picnic beetle provides prolonged control of armored scale, such as Euonymous and San Jose scale.
C. nipponicus is native to China and Korea and was introduced into the U.S. in the 1990s to control euonymous scale. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture started a rearing program in the mid-1990s, and since its release, C. nipponicus programs have expanded. Researchers are currently using populations to control elongate hemlock scale, a serious secondary pest of hemlock stands stressed by the hemlock wooly adelgid.
C. nipponicus eat scale as larvae and as adults. Adults live for months and can reproduce several times. Staggered generations provide year-round control, and, unlike other similar beetles, C. nipponicus can survive when prey populations are low. Larvae develop and feed under waxy covers that protect them from direct exposure to pesticides. These tiny beetles are comparatively expensive to purchase, and populations establish over multiple years. However, natural C. nipponicus populations are present throughout North Carolina and provide background control of many landscape scale species.
Assassin Bugs (Family: Reduviidae)
Assassin bugs are members of the diverse, predatory family Reduviidae. They use their long stylet to pierce and liquefy caterpillars, aphids, and other pests. Several of these beneficial species live in North Carolina, including but not limited to the lurid assassin bug (Zelus luridus), the colorful assassin (Rhiginia cruciata), the masked hunter (Reduvius personatus), and the wheelbug (Arilus cristatus). Some species of assassin bug nymphs look similar to herbivorous true bugs, such as the leaf-footed bugs, that use their stylets to suck plant juices. There is a rudimentary way to tell the difference between these groups as immature insects. Pestiferous bugs that eat plants tend to congregate, while assassin bugs hunt alone.
Assassin bugs like varied plant structure to hunt within, and also high humidity. To encourage their populations on the lawn or beside the garden, you can plant tall native grasses and flowers.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
WCHA Irrigation and Pesticide Credit Program
Consider registering for this program: Irrigation and Pesticide Credit Program This will be an opportunity to get 2 hours of credit in Irrigation and 2 hours of credits for Pesticide Applicators.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Pest News for June 27th
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Christine Nalepa and Whitney Swink, Research Specialists, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Hemlock Borers Collected by the Native Wasp Cerceris fumipennis in the North Carolina Mountains
The Beneficial Insects Laboratory of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has been using the solitary wasp Cerceris fumipennis as a biosurveillance tool to monitor for the Emerald Ash Borer and other pest Buprestidae throughout the state Solitary Wasp. The wasps nest on the hard-packed sandy soil typical of baseball and softball diamonds. They forage for buprestid beetles in the canopy, bringing them back to the nest to feed their offspring. The pest survey consists of intercepting Cerceris females at the nest when they return from foraging trips, and collecting and identifying the beetles they carry.
In recent weeks Cerceris surveys in the mountains of the state indicate that the wasps are bringing in large numbers of hemlock borers (Melanophila fulvoguttata), a pest of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), throughout its natural range. Hemlock borers are secondary pests that can reach significant levels in hosts weakened by hemlock woolly adelgids and other pests (see the June 11, 2010 issue of the North Carolina Pest News at Hemlock Borer).
The Cerceris surveys suggest that hemlock borers may be at or near outbreak levels in some locations of the North Carolina mountains. Melanophila fulvoguttata to date has been collected in seven sites, in the cities of Andrews, Asheville, Franklin, Murphy, and Bryson City. In the latter, 97% (57 of 59) of the beetles collected from the wasps were hemlock borers. Specimens have been deposited in the North Carolina State University Insect Museum.
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Where are the Green June Beetles?
We know that Mary had a little lamb, a little pork, a little jam. And she probably also had green June beetles. Expect to see them soon. They rarely do harm to landscape plants and do not harm people. They can be handled without fear. There are possible control measures available for larvae in turf and pasture (later in the season). I have rarely ever seen this justified in residential turf (unless your backyard used to be a pasture). Grubs are sometimes a problem in pastures and heavy manure-applied fields because they like the decaying organic matter. Adults are sometimes a problem in fruit trees and grapes. Adult populations should start to decline after two weeks and they should be gone after three to four weeks. Patience 25W* (a.i. time) is the best recommendation and can be applied without environmental concern. No, that's not a new pesticide, it's called waiting. For more information on green June beetles, see the following insect notes available on the web:
Green June Beetles
Green June Beetle Note
* Wait 25 days
Yellowjackets Building
Yellowjacket nests start from scratch each spring, as they do not reuse old nests. I've seen more yellowjackets out foraging recently. I've had one contact who reported disturbing a nest and being stung twice. If this episode had been a few weeks from now, I'm sure the number of stings would have been much greater. The nests are probably at their largest around the end of July. Wasps and yellow jackets are great predators of other flying insects and caterpillars.
Be aware of the potential for yellowjacket nests around shrubs and when mowing the lawn. Undisturbed "natural" areas in the landscape are good spots for them. They generally nest in the ground in loose-rooted areas at the base of shrubs and trees or below-ground rotted wood. Once-containerized plants that are now in the landscape often have voids where the media has degraded away. If the nest poses a stinging threat to humans or pets, control may be appropriate. Spray an aerosol hornet and wasp insecticide directly into the entrance hole at night. Don't use gasoline for a bunch of reasons! (Besides, it is too expensive.) Yellowjacket traps that are sold in stores (or homemade) have not been shown to be effective in North Carolina, though they make great conversation pieces in the yard.
Return of Oak Blotch Leafminers?
This week we received a report of an infestation of oak blotch leafminers in a Wake County neighborhood. The last outbreak I recall was about five years ago. Caterpillars of a small moth in the genus Cameraria mine in the leaves primarily of white oak (oak leaves with rounded lobes) leaving brown blotches. These blotches start small and may increase to the size of a dime or larger. There can be many blotches per leaf. There are several species of these moths that may attack oak leaves. Some of the caterpillars are gregarious and there may be several caterpillars in each blotch mine.
Now that the caterpillars are a bit larger, the mines are quite noticeable and the silvery blotches will begin to turn brown. A severe infestation can cause most of the leaf area to turn brown by mid-summer. Leaves may drop prematurely. Two or three generations could be possible per season.
Control by insecticides is not effective and not practical. Trees are not likely to be killed. These caterpillars are present every year, but it may be worse this year in some places. This insect overwinters as a larva in the leaf. Collecting and destroying fallen leaves may be a good idea this year. Oak trees often shed their leaves over a long period of time and may not drop them all until spring. If you are in an area surrounded by woods or neighbors with oak trees, there may be a plentiful supply of new caterpillars next year. Hopefully, the normally plentiful supply of parasitoid wasps will keep numbers lower.
Cicada Killer Wasps
The cicada killer wasps are beginning to emerge. Adult cicadas are caught and stung by this wasp, then dragged back to the nest. The most noticeable feature is often the large amount of soil excavated and mounded outside the burrow. Once in the nest, the female wasp lays her eggs on the cicada. Soon the egg hatches and the larva feeds on the cicada. When mature, the wasp larva pupates and another generation of wasps emerges to carry on the life cycle. This is one of our most "showy" wasps and the sight and sound of these coming and going is impressive. These wasps can be regarded as beneficial or neutral. They are also downright interesting. Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note No. 63 (see Cicada Killer Wasp) has additional information on the biology and control of cicada killer wasps, but I prefer the entertainment aspect of them.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
From: Christine Nalepa and Whitney Swink, Research Specialists, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Hemlock Borers Collected by the Native Wasp Cerceris fumipennis in the North Carolina Mountains
The Beneficial Insects Laboratory of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has been using the solitary wasp Cerceris fumipennis as a biosurveillance tool to monitor for the Emerald Ash Borer and other pest Buprestidae throughout the state Solitary Wasp. The wasps nest on the hard-packed sandy soil typical of baseball and softball diamonds. They forage for buprestid beetles in the canopy, bringing them back to the nest to feed their offspring. The pest survey consists of intercepting Cerceris females at the nest when they return from foraging trips, and collecting and identifying the beetles they carry.
In recent weeks Cerceris surveys in the mountains of the state indicate that the wasps are bringing in large numbers of hemlock borers (Melanophila fulvoguttata), a pest of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), throughout its natural range. Hemlock borers are secondary pests that can reach significant levels in hosts weakened by hemlock woolly adelgids and other pests (see the June 11, 2010 issue of the North Carolina Pest News at Hemlock Borer).
The Cerceris surveys suggest that hemlock borers may be at or near outbreak levels in some locations of the North Carolina mountains. Melanophila fulvoguttata to date has been collected in seven sites, in the cities of Andrews, Asheville, Franklin, Murphy, and Bryson City. In the latter, 97% (57 of 59) of the beetles collected from the wasps were hemlock borers. Specimens have been deposited in the North Carolina State University Insect Museum.
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Where are the Green June Beetles?
We know that Mary had a little lamb, a little pork, a little jam. And she probably also had green June beetles. Expect to see them soon. They rarely do harm to landscape plants and do not harm people. They can be handled without fear. There are possible control measures available for larvae in turf and pasture (later in the season). I have rarely ever seen this justified in residential turf (unless your backyard used to be a pasture). Grubs are sometimes a problem in pastures and heavy manure-applied fields because they like the decaying organic matter. Adults are sometimes a problem in fruit trees and grapes. Adult populations should start to decline after two weeks and they should be gone after three to four weeks. Patience 25W* (a.i. time) is the best recommendation and can be applied without environmental concern. No, that's not a new pesticide, it's called waiting. For more information on green June beetles, see the following insect notes available on the web:
Green June Beetles
Green June Beetle Note
* Wait 25 days
Yellowjackets Building
Yellowjacket nests start from scratch each spring, as they do not reuse old nests. I've seen more yellowjackets out foraging recently. I've had one contact who reported disturbing a nest and being stung twice. If this episode had been a few weeks from now, I'm sure the number of stings would have been much greater. The nests are probably at their largest around the end of July. Wasps and yellow jackets are great predators of other flying insects and caterpillars.
Be aware of the potential for yellowjacket nests around shrubs and when mowing the lawn. Undisturbed "natural" areas in the landscape are good spots for them. They generally nest in the ground in loose-rooted areas at the base of shrubs and trees or below-ground rotted wood. Once-containerized plants that are now in the landscape often have voids where the media has degraded away. If the nest poses a stinging threat to humans or pets, control may be appropriate. Spray an aerosol hornet and wasp insecticide directly into the entrance hole at night. Don't use gasoline for a bunch of reasons! (Besides, it is too expensive.) Yellowjacket traps that are sold in stores (or homemade) have not been shown to be effective in North Carolina, though they make great conversation pieces in the yard.
Return of Oak Blotch Leafminers?
This week we received a report of an infestation of oak blotch leafminers in a Wake County neighborhood. The last outbreak I recall was about five years ago. Caterpillars of a small moth in the genus Cameraria mine in the leaves primarily of white oak (oak leaves with rounded lobes) leaving brown blotches. These blotches start small and may increase to the size of a dime or larger. There can be many blotches per leaf. There are several species of these moths that may attack oak leaves. Some of the caterpillars are gregarious and there may be several caterpillars in each blotch mine.
Now that the caterpillars are a bit larger, the mines are quite noticeable and the silvery blotches will begin to turn brown. A severe infestation can cause most of the leaf area to turn brown by mid-summer. Leaves may drop prematurely. Two or three generations could be possible per season.
Control by insecticides is not effective and not practical. Trees are not likely to be killed. These caterpillars are present every year, but it may be worse this year in some places. This insect overwinters as a larva in the leaf. Collecting and destroying fallen leaves may be a good idea this year. Oak trees often shed their leaves over a long period of time and may not drop them all until spring. If you are in an area surrounded by woods or neighbors with oak trees, there may be a plentiful supply of new caterpillars next year. Hopefully, the normally plentiful supply of parasitoid wasps will keep numbers lower.
Cicada Killer Wasps
The cicada killer wasps are beginning to emerge. Adult cicadas are caught and stung by this wasp, then dragged back to the nest. The most noticeable feature is often the large amount of soil excavated and mounded outside the burrow. Once in the nest, the female wasp lays her eggs on the cicada. Soon the egg hatches and the larva feeds on the cicada. When mature, the wasp larva pupates and another generation of wasps emerges to carry on the life cycle. This is one of our most "showy" wasps and the sight and sound of these coming and going is impressive. These wasps can be regarded as beneficial or neutral. They are also downright interesting. Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note No. 63 (see Cicada Killer Wasp) has additional information on the biology and control of cicada killer wasps, but I prefer the entertainment aspect of them.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Pest News Update
Invasive Pest Found on North Carolina Soybeans Spreading Rapidly
Kudzu bug (aka bean plataspid, Megacopta cribraria Fabricus) has recently been confirmed on kudzu from several North Carolina counties where it was not previously found. In addition, it has been reported on a legume from the North Carolina Arboretum, although this has not been confirmed. Soybean is the main agronomic host for this insect, but it will feed on many other legumes.
This insect was found on flowering volunteer soybean plants on 10 June in Union county by a Wingate University researcher, Erika Scocco, collecting kudzu bug for a molecular study. This is the first confirmed sighting of this insect on soybean in our state. In North Carolina, the pattern of spread is mirroring that of South Carolina in 2010. This insect feeds on the stems and leaves, and may come into our soybean fields earlier, rather than later, during the season.
So far, kudzu bug has been relatively easy to kill with insecticides (except with neonicotinoids), but will often reinvade. A preliminary economic threshold, based on Georgia data, is one bug per sweep with large nymphs present, or three bugs per plant with large nymphs present.
We are tracking this pest and would appreciate you contacting Dominic Reisig (electronic mail at dominic_reisig@ncsu.edu; telephone at 252-793-4428 x133) if you find this pest in a non-confirmed county. If you could also provide GPS coordinates, as well as the plant on which it was found, it would enhance our ability to respond to this new threat. Please use caution not to spread this pest from field to field if you find it.
Although this insect sounds like a possible beneficial pest- eating Kudzu; it has been found on other legumes including desirable ornamental plants. So keep your eyes open!
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Lightning Bugs Are Looking Good
For the first time in several years, most of North Carolina has had a reasonable amount of rainfall in the spring. This year the lampyrids (lightning bugs) seem to be off to a good start. Lightning bugs are beetles. Fireflies are, coincidentally, also beetles! Lightning bug adults produce a heat-free source of light through a biochemical reaction. The light flashes are used to attract mates. Different species have different flash patterns and are active at different times during the evening. What does this have to do with pest management? One of the many great aspects of lightning bugs is that the larvae of some species are predatory on snails and slugs!
Citrus Whiteflies on Gardenia
The citrus whitefly is a tiny, frosty white insect about 2 mm in length. It is not a true fly. Females insert their eggs into the lower surface of the leaves of gardenia and Swedish ivy. Soon the immature stages hatch into scale-like insects that suck sap from the lower leaf surface. They are often mistakenly reported as a scale. Look for ant activity, honeydew, or sooty mold on these plants. There is additional information in Publication AG-136, Insect and Related Pests of Flowers and Foliage Plants available on the web at Whitefly.
Citrus whiteflies suck sap from the plant and excrete honeydew, a sweet, sticky substance. Sooty molds go hand-in-hand with infestations of citrus whitefly. Sooty molds grow in the honeydew and cause infested bushes to become dull and dark. Horticultural oils should give some control of the citrus whitefly. Orthene is also effective. Imidacloprid would also be an effective systemic as a root drench.
Cicadas, Act II
Periodical cicadas were a big hit this spring across most of North Carolina. It is now time for the annual cicada to make its appearance. Already spotted, are the larger green annual cicadas that appear every year in low numbers. By now, most of you are familiar with cicadas. Every summer the chunky brown nymphs crawl from under the ground and perform a transformation as dramatic as the change of a chrysalis to a butterfly. Though the individual life cycle may last several years for the annuals, the entire population does not emerge in synchrony as do their famous earlier periodical cousins. You should now be able to enjoy their daytime buzzing and still hear yourself think.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Kudzu bug (aka bean plataspid, Megacopta cribraria Fabricus) has recently been confirmed on kudzu from several North Carolina counties where it was not previously found. In addition, it has been reported on a legume from the North Carolina Arboretum, although this has not been confirmed. Soybean is the main agronomic host for this insect, but it will feed on many other legumes.
This insect was found on flowering volunteer soybean plants on 10 June in Union county by a Wingate University researcher, Erika Scocco, collecting kudzu bug for a molecular study. This is the first confirmed sighting of this insect on soybean in our state. In North Carolina, the pattern of spread is mirroring that of South Carolina in 2010. This insect feeds on the stems and leaves, and may come into our soybean fields earlier, rather than later, during the season.
So far, kudzu bug has been relatively easy to kill with insecticides (except with neonicotinoids), but will often reinvade. A preliminary economic threshold, based on Georgia data, is one bug per sweep with large nymphs present, or three bugs per plant with large nymphs present.
We are tracking this pest and would appreciate you contacting Dominic Reisig (electronic mail at dominic_reisig@ncsu.edu; telephone at 252-793-4428 x133) if you find this pest in a non-confirmed county. If you could also provide GPS coordinates, as well as the plant on which it was found, it would enhance our ability to respond to this new threat. Please use caution not to spread this pest from field to field if you find it.
Although this insect sounds like a possible beneficial pest- eating Kudzu; it has been found on other legumes including desirable ornamental plants. So keep your eyes open!
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Lightning Bugs Are Looking Good
For the first time in several years, most of North Carolina has had a reasonable amount of rainfall in the spring. This year the lampyrids (lightning bugs) seem to be off to a good start. Lightning bugs are beetles. Fireflies are, coincidentally, also beetles! Lightning bug adults produce a heat-free source of light through a biochemical reaction. The light flashes are used to attract mates. Different species have different flash patterns and are active at different times during the evening. What does this have to do with pest management? One of the many great aspects of lightning bugs is that the larvae of some species are predatory on snails and slugs!
Citrus Whiteflies on Gardenia
The citrus whitefly is a tiny, frosty white insect about 2 mm in length. It is not a true fly. Females insert their eggs into the lower surface of the leaves of gardenia and Swedish ivy. Soon the immature stages hatch into scale-like insects that suck sap from the lower leaf surface. They are often mistakenly reported as a scale. Look for ant activity, honeydew, or sooty mold on these plants. There is additional information in Publication AG-136, Insect and Related Pests of Flowers and Foliage Plants available on the web at Whitefly.
Citrus whiteflies suck sap from the plant and excrete honeydew, a sweet, sticky substance. Sooty molds go hand-in-hand with infestations of citrus whitefly. Sooty molds grow in the honeydew and cause infested bushes to become dull and dark. Horticultural oils should give some control of the citrus whitefly. Orthene is also effective. Imidacloprid would also be an effective systemic as a root drench.
Cicadas, Act II
Periodical cicadas were a big hit this spring across most of North Carolina. It is now time for the annual cicada to make its appearance. Already spotted, are the larger green annual cicadas that appear every year in low numbers. By now, most of you are familiar with cicadas. Every summer the chunky brown nymphs crawl from under the ground and perform a transformation as dramatic as the change of a chrysalis to a butterfly. Though the individual life cycle may last several years for the annuals, the entire population does not emerge in synchrony as do their famous earlier periodical cousins. You should now be able to enjoy their daytime buzzing and still hear yourself think.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
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