Baute Bug Blog

SPIDERMITES: I have a sneaking suspicion that spidermites are making their way into those fields that haven’t had rain in a while.  We have had situations in the past where not only have they popped up in soybeans and were being disregarded as “drought stress” symptoms but also in seed corn, especially around or just after wheat has been harvested in the area.  Be particularly careful in watching those fields that may have had a pyrethroid used recently for any other insect issues.  Pyrethroids do not work on spidermites and can actually cause mite populations to flare up.  For more info on spidermites and scouting, refer to: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/13soybean.htm#spider

SOYBEAN APHIDS:  As suspected, some fields are noticing a drastic decline in numbers, while others have seen a drastic increase.  A significant soybean aphid flight took place this week (as captured by our suction traps) and some winged aphids left the early planted fields they started in this summer and have moved to later planted fields either nearby or in other regions entirely.  But we also may have received aphids from neighbouring states and provinces so fields should be checked soon to figure out if you were one of the lucky ones or not. 

 WESTERN BEAN CUTWORM:  We experienced an increase in moth captures this week, indicating that this is a good time to start scouting for egg masses, especially at trap locations that have been catching moths into the double digits.  Since corn is still barely tasseling, the moths will prefer to lay their eggs in corn still.  Trap capture maps for this week are at:  http://www.cornpest.ca/default/index.cfm/wbc-trap-network/weekly-maps-of-wbc-trap-catches/

Information on how to scout for egg masses and larval activity can be found at: http://www.cornpest.ca/?LinkServID=3FD7CC42-65B8-8CF0-A092D60341F09626&showMeta=0   Make sure to click on the speaker notes at the top left of each slide for more detailed information.

Also here is an infosheet on WBC in corn:  http://www.cornpest.ca/?LinkServID=D23DD4EE-188B-3AFA-0809F13CA830D6F4&showMeta=0

Have a Fantastic Long Weekend Everyone!

A lot of calls are coming in this week from growers and reps who have fields that are hovering around the 250 aphids per plant range.  With the poor weather and wheat harvest some are anxious to make the call if they need to spray.  In fact, there are some rumours out there that some are spraying before the field reaches 250 aphids per plant.  I stongly DISCOURAGE this as I have witnessed many times that this does not save you a spray or your time but in fact increases the chances that you will need to spray again in the next 10 days or so because of the natural enemies that were making an effort were instead killed off, leaving the aphids that survived to live well and prosper.

The best way to increase your chances of only having to spray once is to spray well within the threshold, when you have been able to assess that the aphids are definetly on the increase past 250 per plant.  

Here are my best recommendations for the current situation:

1)  In regions where the fields are quite dry and the crop is appearing stressed, plan to spray just above 250 aphids per plant, after you have confidently determined that the aphid population is actually on the increase.  This indicates that the natural enemies are not keeping up and are no longer valuable enough for you to save.

2) In regions where there have been some timely rains and the crop is not stressed, plan to spray when the aphids start to reach around 400-500 aphids per plant.  The economic injury level (when the cost of spray is equal to the cost of control) is around 600-700 aphids per plant.  In a healthy crop you can be a bit more patient and wait to see if the natural enemies kick it in gear and lower the aphid population.  But experience has shown me that once you start to crack the 400-500 aphids per plant mark, there is less of a chance that there will be enough natural enemies and time for them to keep the aphids from reaching the economic injury level.

And keep an eye out for SPIDERMITES, especially in the regions that have not had these rains.  Wheat harvest is starting and spidermites will be moving into soybean fields.  Timely rains help manage them but not every field has had these rains. 

Please let us all know if you are starting to see spidermite injury in your area!

This is a ladybeetle larvae.  They can be black or a dull grey/purple with orange or  yellow markings.  If they are shaped like an alligator, they are a ladybeetle larvae. It will be an adult ladybeetle soon.  Both the larvae and adults feed on aphids.

The black velvet coloured aphid on the right is a parasitized soybean aphid.  It is dead because a tiny wasp has laid its egg inside the aphid and the young wasp has eaten the aphid from the inside.  The adult wasp will emerge from the aphid soon to parasitize other aphids.

 The white flakes in this picture are cast skins of the aphid.  They are NOT dead aphids.  Aphids need to shed their skin to grow so they leave behind what looks like dandriff on the plants.  Do not use these to count or determine if the aphids are reaching threshold or are dying.  Only count the aphids that are Mountain Dew coloured.

This is a syrphid fly larvae.  It is also a natural enemy.  It is a blind maggot that crawls around the leaf until it bumps into an aphid and then eats it.

These are just some examples of the natural enemies that may be busy at work in your fields.  For more information on these and soybean aphid management, here is a link to the Canadian Soybean Aphid Scouting Cards: http://www.soybean.on.ca/aphidinfo/uploads/soybean_aphid_scouting_card__english.pdf

Calls have been coming in from several areas across the province reporting fields that have reached threshold and need to be sprayed.  The most recent hotspots include Huron County along lake Huron, Bruce County near Tara, fields north of Barrie, York and Durham and a large number of acres between Belleville and Cornwall.  Just coming back from Eastern Ontario, I think it is safe to say that a lot of fields will be reaching threshold there this week and next.

Scouting is ESSENTIAL!  Fields that were treated with Cruiser did not allow these early season aphids to build up in numbers and therefore are not reaching threshold yet so focus scouting efforts for now on non-Cruiser treated fields.   

Many are asking if they have enough natural enemies to not have to spray.  Currently the only way we can tell if there are enough natural enemies doing their job is to monitor the aphid populations over a period of days.  If the aphid populations are fluctuating up and down around  250 aphids per plant then the natural enemies are keeping up and should be given a chance.  If the aphid populations are moving from 150 to 400 per plant in just a matter of a few days, then this is an indication that the natural enemies are not able to feed on or kill enough of the aphids and a spray is necessary. 

Many of the aphids I have seen this week have wing buds (the 80s shoulder pad look) which means they will be developing wings soon.  These aphids will either move to other plants within the same field or relocate to later planted fields in the area.  They could even get picked up and carried to a different region by the storm fronts headed our way….but that also means that we could receive some from Ohio and Michigan and other states.  When scouting, use a handlens and try to see if the majority of the aphids have wing buds.  If they do, go back to that field a few days later to see if the aphids are winged and are leaving or left or are just redispersing themselves in the field.  It is quite normal for there to be a summer migration of the aphids this time of year and they do tend to prefer later planted fields, rather than sticking around in the early ones they originally colonized.  But scouting these fields is very important to determine if aphids are coming, going or staying for the long haul.

Now that we are getting into the R1 (beginning bloom) stage of soybeans, we have a bunch of research to do on soybean aphids including trying different combinations of water volume, pressure and nozzle configurations and testing new novel insecticides for future registrations.  But we need sites.  So anyone that finds soybean fields  (>25 acres) with aphids at or above 250 aphids per plant within approximately 100 km radius around London please contact me.  We’d like to set up some plots in up to 11 fields and can compensate growers for the space we take up.  With a little luck and help locating good aphid sites, we can work at adding more key elements to soybean aphid management toolbox.

It is a strange season.  Things that shouldn’t be happening yet are and it is really messing us all up in terms of catching things in time before they become a problem.

I just had a call from Laura Neubrand that she has found true armyworm in a late planted wheat field near Exeter that has 3 to 4 larvae per square foot!  Larvae are anywhere from 1 inch or smaller.  There is at least 30 more days before harvest so this field can still be saved.  But other fields in the area may not be as lucky.  Most products have 21 to 28 days to harvest intervals with the exception of 1 that has a 14 days to harvest interval.  So fields should be checked at least once before it is too late.  Best at early evening/night to actually see the larvae.  Seperate the plants to look down along the ground for any activity or frass.  4 larvae per square foot that are an inch or smaller is threshold.

High aphid numbers are being found in fields in counties bordering Lake Simcoe (Simcoe, Durham and Victoria).  Spraying has been necessary in many of the fields that have been scouted.  Scouting is advised in all fields in that region, starting first with the fields that were not treated with Cruiser.  Cruiser treated fields should not be reaching threshold yet but could be starting to have aphids colonize in them.  Past 35-40 days after planting the insecticide is no longer toxic to the aphid, but these fields have most likely not had enough time to build up to threshold levels yet.  So if time is limited, scout non-Cruiser fields first, then return to the Cruiser fields to scout on a weekly basis to stay ahead of any situations.

First off, I apologize for not updating the blog for the last little while.  I’ve been busy with setting up the SouthWest Diagnostic Days and just ran out of time.  But let me catch you up on a few things that have taken place but I am also hoping that others who have been out in fields more than I this week can send their comments in on what they are seeing.

SOYBEAN APHIDS - Looks like we have a few fields out there that are reaching above the threshold of 250 aphids per plant and increasing, present on 80% of the plants as they enter the R1 stage soys, particularly in Eastern Ontario (Stomont, Dundas and Glengarry counties) and Southern Quebec.  Spraying has been taking place over the last week in Eastern Ontario.   Now that most of the soybeans are in or are about to hit R1 across the province, scouting should be done at least once a week to assess what the aphids and natural enemies are doing.  Many of the fields are in good shape with timely rains and lots of natural enemies but others are starting to feel the stress from lack of rain and fluctuating temps.

WESTERN BEAN CUTWORM - A few moths have now been found in Ontario through our trapping system.  So far moths have been caught in Essex and Chatham Kent Counties (only 1 moth in each of 4 traps).  Any trap participants out there are asked to send in their information in on a timely basis so that we can continue to report and map these captures.  We will keep you informed on any increasing levels of captures and “areas of concern” that may need to be scouted for egg masses and potential damage. 

That’s all for today!  Please send in your comments on what you are seeing out there so that we can share that information.