Western Bean Cutworm Trap Counts Going up; Time to Check for Eggs!

WBC egg mass with newly hatched larvae

Our WBC trapping network has been catching relatively few moths over the past weeks but last week some higher numbers were reported. These numbers are still a bit behind what I would have expected considering the warmer weather but the trend is towards increasing numbers. Just last week the scouts were finding quite a few WBC egg masses on corn in the Bothwell area with some of the eggs beginning to hatch.   Increasing trap catches have been found in Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Halimand-Norfolk, Huron, Lambton, Oxford and Wellington.  We haven’t seen peak moth flight yet but we are certainly on the way. A lot of corn in south western Ontario, is in the whorl-to-pretassel and tassel stage and with moth eggs being found, it’s time to get out and start scouting.

For a refresher on scouting techniques and threshold numbers check out the link to the agronomy guide: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/13corn.htm#wbcutworm

For weekly updates on trap catches in your area visit the Canadian Corn Pest Coalition website www.cornpest.ca

Hot + Dry = Spider Mites

In areas where we have seen very little rain and high temperatures some reports of spider mites in soybeans are coming in. It looks like now is the time to start scouting! Typically damage is first noticed at the field edges however, the wind can move the mites further into the field where hot spots can develop. When scouting, look for stippling, curling and bronzing of the leaves. These are symptoms of mite damage.  Scouting information, identification and thresholds are available in the agronomy guide: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/13soybean.htm#spider

Any Aphids Yet?  

Some reports of soybean aphids have been coming in but the numbers are low so far.  Our neighbors to the south are also reporting low numbers of soybean aphids this year so I have my fingers crossed for things to stay that way.  This is the time of year when populations can start to build so keep an eye out for them.

This may be a good year to try the Aphid Advisor App.  This smart phone app is available for Black Berry, iPhone and Android operating systems and is a useful tool to help decide if an insecticide application is needed.  The app is available through the website www.aphidapp.com for blackberry users and will soon be available through the App Store for iPhone users.  Check out the website for more information.