Baute Bug Blog

Some counties in Michigan have been given the recommendation to spray their dry beans due to the high moth counts and observations of pod feeding at some locations.  Montcalm County (central Michigan) in particular is at the highest risk with some trap sites capturing over 400-500 moths in the last few weeks.  Isabella, Gratiot and Mecosta counties are also considered at risk.  Current Michigan WBC Trap Map:  http://www.msuent.com/files/WBCmapAug15.pdf

Thankfully Ontario has not yet experienced these kind of levels yet.  Current Ontario WBC Trap Map: http://www.cornpest.ca/?LinkServID=848D2ECA-188B-3AFA-083F4B11E7B95388&showMeta=0

Only one trap site near Appin has accumulated more than 50 moths so far in Ontario.  Others have been ranging from no catches to about 30 moths so far.  We have been scouting for egg masses and feeding damage at most sites that have captured moths but have not found anything yet in corn or dry beans.  However, given what Michigan is dealing with this year, I don’t think we have many more growing seasons to go before we are see levels high enough that management will be needed in at least some fields.

A recent summer migration of soybean aphids in Ontario has resulted in many new fields having a fair number of aphids in them now.  Fields that were scouted a week or two ago and were found to have very few aphids could now be closer to threshold than you think.  Scouting is advised.  Scout Cruiser treated fields too as we are starting to see some of these fields also nearing threshold now.

Admittedly some people got lucky.  Some of the fields that were infested earlier this year and were rising in numbers are the ones that the aphids developed wings in and left so they may have dropped in numbers and no longer need to be sprayed.  But again, scouting is advised to determine which fields this migration has impacted, good or bad.

Recent soybean aphid scouting maps for Ontario can be found at: http://sba.ipmpipe.org/cgi-bin/sbr/public.cgi?host=All%20Legumes/Kudzu&pest=soybean_aphid 

This weeks map will also go up on the OSG site later tomorrow (Friday Aug 7th) at: http://www.soybean.on.ca/aphids.php

Good luck!

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

I’m heading out to the fields today so I will have more to report on tonight.  But at the breakfast meeting yesterday a question about a product label came up and I thought it would be handy to provide you with the link to PMRA’s Label Search Site at:  http://pr-rp.pmra-arla.gc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=34,17551&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Use the drop down menu to select “Product Name” or “Active Ingredient” and then type in the name of the product or a.i. that you are looking for under “Criteria”.   When you are done, hit “Submit Search Requirements”.  You will get a list of the registered products for Canada that fit your “Criteria”.  Click on the “Registration Number” on the far left for the specific product that you were searching for.  Don’t click on the actual product name that shows up in the middle of the row, as that just gives you the registration dates of the product and other details that you don’t probably need.  Once you click on the “Registration Number” it will download the latest copy of the product label that is available through PMRA.