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From: Jack S. Bacheler, Extension Entomologist
In general, spider mites seem to again be our major pest of concern, with more cotton fields treated or on the brink of treatment in recent days. Although most cotton fields throughout the state do not have anything approaching an economic, “treatable” situation, some level of mites is easy to find in much of our northern and far eastern cotton acreage and to some degree elsewhere. If mites are present throughout much of the field with bottom leaves beginning to drop, spraying may be in order.
To better judge the degree of mite reduction following either the application of a miticide or the possible positive impact of significant rainfall, I find it helpful to mark several spots in a field with plastic tape or wire flags in order to return to the same spot for re-evaluations. This can make it easier to determine possible trends in mite levels. Dead mites are also a reliable indicator of mortality due to either the spray or the fungus. It should go without saying that a hand lens is indispensable in examining the undersides of leaves for mites, their eggs, or their carcasses.
Cotton aphid levels have picked up during the past week; however, no treated cotton fields have been brought to our attention yet. The aphid fungus, our most reliable cause of cotton aphid mortality, most often shows up during the third or forth week of July.
As you might expect from our somewhat unseasonably warm weather, our major bollworm moth flight should be on the early side, probably beginning in the southern Robeson County this coming week. Hopefully, we’ll begin to see a number of light trap counts posted online at our Cotton Insect Corner (http://ipm.ncsu.edu/cotton/InsectCorner/blacklight/index.htm) and various county websites, beginning this coming week.
Upcoming quarter-sized boll assessments for internal damage from stink bugs should ideally begin within a week or so of bloom initiation. Pre-blooming cotton should not be in need of protection from stink bugs, and sprays during the first two weeks of bloom should be the exception. Be sure to place an emphasis on weeks three through six of bloom, as research conducted here and in South Carolina and Georgia suggests that this may be the period of maximum exposure to possible yield losses from stink bugs. Generally, earlier planted cotton fields tend to have higher initial stink bug levels than later planted, less mature cotton fields. The reverse is true later in the season when the later planted, less mature cotton fields are more vulnerable. We’ll have more on the stink bug outlook in the coming weeks.
Hoke, Scotland and Robeson counties: Monday, July 9 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the O.P. Owens Ag Center Extension Offices, Lumberton, NC. Contact Everett David (telephone: 910-671-3276; e-mail: everett_david@ncsu.edu) for details.
Edgecombe County: Friday, July 13 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the East Carolina Agriculture and Education Center, 1175 Kingsboro Road, Kingsboro exit off Highway 64 north of Rocky Mount. Contact Art Bradley (telephone: 252-641-7815; e-mail: art_bradley@ncsu.edu) for details. Dr. Jim Dunphy will also provide a soybean rust update and discuss disease management options.
Northampton County: Monday, July 16 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the County Administration Building, Jackson, NC. For details, contact Craig Ellison (telephone: 252-534-2711; e-mail: craig_ellison@ncsu.edu).
Halifax County: Monday, July 16 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Agricultural Building, Halifax. Contact Arthur Whitehead (telephone: 252-583-5161; e-mail: arthur_whitehead@ncsu.edu) for details. A review of soybean scouting procedures will also be covered.
Nash and Wilson counties: Tuesday, July 24, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Agricultural Center, Nashville. For details, contact Charlie Tyson (telephone: 252-459-9810; e-mail: charlie_tyson@ncsu.edu).
From: Randy Weisz, Small Grain Extension Specialist
The new wheat variety recommendations for 2007 have been released by North Carolina State University. The recommendations can be found in Small Grains Fact Sheet No. 13, July 2007. Please help get this information out to those in the small grains community in time for growers to order next season's seed!
From: Stephen B. Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Yellow jackets (image by Zachary Huang) may be right on schedule this year. Wasps and yellow jackets are great predators of other flying insects and caterpillars. Be aware of the potential for yellow jacket nests around shrubs and when mowing the lawn. They generally nest in the ground in loose rooted areas beneath shrubs and trees or below-ground rotted wood. They do not reuse old nests. 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 this! Need I explain why? Yellow jacket traps have not been shown to be effective in North Carolina despite the fact that many are sold.
Last week two adult emerald ash borers (U.S. Forest Service image) were found in an ailing ash tree in Butler County, western Pennsylvania, which is north of Pittsburgh. (Butler County is also home to the Slippery Rock Sliders Frontier League baseball team. Despite the fact that they use ash baseball bats, there is no connection.) For more information on emerald ash borers, see the following web site: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/eab/eab.pdf.
The songs of katydids are now filling the early night air in my neighborhood. Katydids closely resemble grasshoppers and are sometimes attracted to lights. Katydids differ in their activity during the season and by time of day. For good information on katydids, visit the web at http://buzz.ifas.ufl.edu/katydids.htm. For more links, visit the August 5, 2005 North Carolina Pest News (http://ipm.ncsu.edu/current_ipm/05PestNews/05News17/ornament.html).
I have to believe that laying in wait are millions of green June beetles (image by James R. Baker). The next decent rain event should set off an emergence and buzzing across the landscape and pastures. These beetles are metallic green and four times the size of Japanese beetles.
Despite the buzzing around turf and pasture, green June beetles do little harm to plants and no harm to people. They can be handled without fear. Though there are possible control measures available for turf (later in the season), I have rarely ever seen this justified in residential turf. Grubs are sometimes a problem in pastures and heavy manure-applied fields. Adults are sometimes a problem in fruit trees and vines. Adult populations should start to decline after two weeks and they should be gone after three to four weeks. Patience is the best recommendation.
For more information on green June beetles, see the following web sites:
Ornamental and Turf Insect Information Note No. 67
(http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/lawn/note67/note67.html)
Forages and Pastures Insect Note No. 02
(http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/forage/gjbnote02/note02.htm)
The walnut caterpillar is the immature stage of a beautiful, cinnamon brown moth. It is one of the handmaid moths. Most often, they are found on walnuts, pecans, and hickories. Even though they are widespread and feed on many types of trees and shrubs, at any one location they may be infrequent or rare.
They overwinter as pupae in the soil. The moths emerge in the spring and summer and lay their eggs in June and July. The larvae feed gregariously (image by Stephen B. Bambara) until they are ready to molt. They are known for consuming a leaf down to the petiole. Young caterpillars are purple in color with white stripes, and older caterpillars are black with white hair-like setae (image by James R. Baker). They have a strange habit of crawling down onto the trunk in a group to molt. Full-grown larvae drop to the ground and crawl around looking for a place to pupate.
From: Alan A. Harper, Lenoir County
June
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Number of Adult Insects
****************************************************
Date HW CEW ECB AW AWC GSB BSB TBW
******************************************************************
June 15 0 5 0 5 2 0 0 0
June 16 0 7 0 1 3 0 0 0
June 17 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 1
June 18 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0
June 19 0 3 0 0 2 2 4 0
June 20 0 5 1 0 3 0 2 0
June 21 ---------------no electric power-------------------
June 22 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0
June 23 1 10 1 3 14 1 0 1
June 24 0 3 0 1 4 0 0 0
June 25 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 0
June 26 0 0 5 0 6 3 0 0
June 27 0 3 4 1 2 2 0 0
June 28 0 4 1 0 3 1 0 0
June 29 0 4 0 1 2 0 0 0
June 30 0 4 2 1 5 0 0 0
******************************************************************
July
******************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
****************************************************
Date HW CEW ECB AW AWC GSB BSB TBW
******************************************************************
July 1 ---------------no electric power-------------------
July 2 0 3 0 0 3 2 0 0
July 3 0 6 2 0 6 1 0 0
July 4 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0
July 5 0 2 1 0 5 4 0 0
July 6 0 3 1 0 2 1 0 0
******************************************************************
Abbreviations: HW = hornworms; CEW = corn earworms; ECB = European
corn borers; AW = true armyworms; AWC = armyworm complex; GSB =
green stink bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs; TBW = tobacco budworms
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Last modified on July 9, 2007 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.