Baute Bug Blog

Okay..it is a busy week on the insect front.  Sorry..two posts in one day but I want to get the message out!

Bean leaf beetle adults are active in emerging soybean fields.  We are starting to see feeding damage in several fields in the southwestern counties.  These beetles have been waiting a while for soybeans to come up.  Fields not planted with Cruiser in areas that have been known to have overwintering adults (up to S. Huron and Wellington Counties) will need to be scouted to determine infestation levels.  For more information on bean leaf beetle scouting and thresholds, here are some helpful resources:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/4blb.htm

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub812/3blb.htm

Cereal leaf beetles have also reached threshold in fields in the Aylmer and Delhi areas, which tells me that there could be more hot spots in that region (or others) that are being missed .  Scout wheat fields to see if any larvae or adults are present.  I realized the other day, a good way to describe the larvae is to look for a very dense muddy drop of water on the leaf.  If you look closer, it is probably cereal leaf beetle.

Since there is not much crop up yet to spot feeding injury on, there really is not much happening yet on the insect front.  However, anyone that did push planting and planted into too wet or cool soils, or deep planted may start seeing some issues when the crops starts to emerge.  Millipedes and slugs in particular could be a problem this year given how wet it was and neither are controlled by the insecticide seed treatments that everyone is using and expecting to control all things with.  It is really important to get the message out to stop planting too early when the soil is not fit and/or too deep as it is just giving the seed to these pests.  And these insecticide seed treatments do not control everything out there.

Bean leaf beetles adults are out now.  Not sure what kind of populations we are going to see this year.  But with overall planting being on the later side, this could put us at risk for an extended pod feeding period into mid September, as these critters like to feed on late planted soys since the pods would still be green and succulent then.  But we will see.

And as for soybean aphids..well I didn’t find any on the buckthorn I scout every year.  And there have been very few reports anywhere in the states either.   It could just be that we are not looking in the right places, as it doesn’t take much of a colony to give us a decent population on soybeans each year.  But it is really strange that we haven’t found something yet, given the record aphid catches we experienced in the fall in the suction traps.  I’m not willing to say that aphids won’t be a problem this year though.  They’ve taught me to never write them off or claim a “No Aphid Year”.

As always, if you are seeing anything out there..let me know!

Just in case some of you are keen and plan to be scotuing this long weekend, there are a few critters you should be watching for.

Alfalfa weevil (AW) larvae are starting in some fields.  So far just the smaller 1st and 2nd instars but warmer weather will help them grow too.  Stay ahead of any infestations by scouting the same field often. 

Cereal leaf beetle (CLB) adults have also been active and I am expecting some larvae to be feeding soon.  Wheat fields should be scouted as it is really important to keep any infestations from causing damage to especially the flag leaf. 

More info on AW and CLB management was provided in this week’s CropPest at: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croppest/2009/02cpo09.htm

Soybean aphids on buckthorn and bean leaf beetles have not been sighted yet.  If you are finding them, let me know!

Have a fantastic weekend and I hope the rain stay away so we can dry out a bit!