In recent years, many seed companies have begun using the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam (FarMore) as a seed treatment on cucurbit and other vegetable seeds. Thiamethoxam is a systemic insecticide that moves from the seed coat into the seedling and then moves throughout the plant. Research has shown that these seed treatments provide about 3 weeks[Read More…]
One way insects communicate with individuals of the same species is with pheromones. Pheromones are volatile chemicals released by an insect that usually can be detected only by individuals of the same species. There are a number of different types of pheromones, but the most common type is the sex pheromone. Usually the females will[Read More…]
Catches of corn earworm moths in pheromone traps are gradually increasing. I had 18 in my trap this morning (August 18). The gradual increase is indicative of the local population emerging. We can expect them to continue to gradually increase for most of the remainder of the season. What we have not had is the[Read More…]
Pheromone trap catches for corn earworms continue to be very low. Again, this is a time when growers can save a lot of money and time by monitoring their pheromone traps and not spraying. I harvested untreated sweet corn on Friday, July 31, and had over 98% clean ears and the few that were damaged[Read More…]
Fall armyworms have completed their annual trek from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest. Fall armyworm larvae will feed on all aboveground parts of the sweet corn plant, during all stages of growth. The damage to the foliage is much more severe than with European corn borer. Larvae will feed from within the whorl of[Read More…]
I have seen more green stink bugs this year than at any time in my career. I have no logical explanation for their abundance. It was thought that as the invasive brown marmorated stink bug became established, it might outcompete the native stink bugs such as the green stink bug, causing numbers to decrease. However,[Read More…]
Growers should remember as of July 31, 2015, it is illegal to use endosulfan on any crop other than pineapple or strawberry. By July 31, 2016, all use of this product will be cancelled. Endosulfan in an organochlorine insecticide, the same class as DDT, and was first produced in the US in 1954. It has[Read More…]
We have received a number of reports of outbreaks of spider mites, primarily in watermelons and in high tunnels. The problems in high tunnels are not unexpected because one of the primary causes of mortality in mite populations is rainfall washing them off the plants and, of course, that is lacking completely in high tunnels.[Read More…]
In years past, the European corn borer was the most important pest of sweet corn, as well as being a pest of peppers and other vegetables. Since the advent of Bt field corn, the overall population of corn borers has been dramatically suppressed, so far that we often forget about it being a pest of[Read More…]
We are again seeing a lull in pheromone trap catches of corn earworms. However, I caution sweet corn growers to remain vigilant in checking their traps. Populations can increase rapidly, especially if carried north on storm fronts from the Gulf Coast. It is also important to watch the development of the field corn around your[Read More…]