Tracey Baute June 1, 2018 1734 Comments Off on Bean Leaf Beetle Showing up in Essex and Chatham KentBean leaf beetles (BLB) are showing up in early planted soybeans that were treated with only fungicide seed treatment. As the result of area wide use of insecticide seed treatments, this pest had much of a presence over the last decade. Thankfully, rescue treatments are still possible if threshold has been reached. BLB have a great predator response. They quickly…
Tracey Baute May 30, 2018 1994 Comments Off on Make Alfalfa Weevil and Cereal Leaf Beetle Scouting a PriorityFirst cut took place on most of the forage acres in southern Ontario. Though this is an effective way to manage alfalfa weevil, this year the larvae were quite small at the time of cutting. I’m concerned that the larvae still present will finally be entering the most damaging stages of third and fourth instars during the early stages of…
The WBC trapping season is about to begin. For those anxious to put up WBC traps this year, the WBC Trap Network is almost ready for you to set up your sites at: https://www.cornpest.ca/wbc-trap-network/ An email to past trap participants will be going out early next week. For those who have not entered trap sites before but are interested doing…
There have been many reports of cereal leaf beetle adult activity over the last few weeks. Adults do some feeding but also lay eggs that give rise to the real issue – cereal leaf beetle larvae. Eggs will be hatching within the next week or so. With daily growing degree days accumulating more quickly than usual, the populations and feeding…
Tracey Baute May 16, 2018 1530 Comments Off on Bt Corn Products/Traits Available in Canada – As of May 2018Here are the 2018 Tables for Bt Corn Products/Traits Available in Canada In English: Bt Corn Products/Traits Available in Canada – As of May 2018 en français: Maïs/Caractères Bt disponibles au Canada – En date de mai 2018 More information can be found on the Canadian Corn Pest Coalition website at: www.cornpest.ca
With planting delayed briefly due to rain, it is the perfect time to get out and set up some wireworm bait stations. Soil temperatures are quite warm now and recent University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus research has found that spring is the better time to successfully bait for wireworms. Spring time is likely better in part because the soil is…
Tracey Baute May 1, 2018 2221 Comments Off on Resistance Prevention – Managing Western Bean Cutworm and Mycotoxins in CornAuthored by: Dr. Art Schaafsma and Dr. Jocelyn Smith, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus and Tracey Baute, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs As the planting season begins, it is important to consider how best to manage western bean cutworm (WBC) damage this year and reduce the risk of resistance development. Western bean cutworm has become a serious…
Tracey Baute October 30, 2017 12349 Comments Off on Locating the Overwintering Brown Marmorated Stink BugCo-Authored with Karli Barton, Field Research Technician, OMAFRA-Ridgetown As colder weather approaches, we have the opportunity to identify overwintering locations for the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). BMSB and a few other stink bugs like to move into homes and other sheltered areas for the winter. This is a great time for homeowners dealing with this nuisance to help…
Tracey Baute August 21, 2017 2847 Comments Off on Keeping an eye out for Trochanter mealybugs in soybeanAuthor: Julia Mlynarek, Research Scientist – Field Entomology, AAFC-Harrow The Trochanter mealybugs Pseudococcus sorghiellus (Forbes) are small (at most 2mm), whitish, wax-covered insects that feed on plant roots (Fig. 1). Because of their size and life history, they are often overlooked but have been found in Southwestern Ontario. Trochanter mealybugs are part of a family of unarmored, scale insects that…
Tracey Baute August 18, 2017 3473 Comments Off on The Season is Not Over Yet for Late Season Pests Like Bean Leaf Beetle, Soybean Aphids and OthersDespite it being the middle of August, some pests are not showing signs of wrapping this season up. Bean leaf beetle are a particular concern in food grade IP and seed soybeans and edible beans across Ontario. As are pod piercing pests like stink bugs and tarnished plant bugs. Soybean aphids are also increasing in numbers, particularly in fields in…
Tracey Baute August 11, 2017 2417 Comments Off on Western Bean Cutworm Still A Concern For Edible Beans & Late CornWe are still seeing WBC trap counts going up in most counties north and east of Perth. That means that WBC moth flight has not yet peaked in those counties. This is important because this also means that we haven’t reached peak egg laying in those counties and that there are a wack of moths flying around looking for somewhere…
Despite the wet weather, potato leafhoppers (PLH) are thriving in many areas of the province. Hopperburn is evident in the second crop of alfalfa, though dry bean fields are also at risk, especially once insecticide seed treatments are no longer present in the plants. Unfortunately, once hopperburn is noticed, yield and quality has already been compromised. Though PLH-resistant varieties of…
It has been a few years since soybean aphids have been noticed in fields this early in the season. This is in part, because many fields were treated with insecticide seed treatments and were assumed to be protecting the crop early in the season. However, very recently published research across several US states has shown that the insecticide seed treatment…
Tracey Baute June 10, 2017 5069 Comments Off on True Armyworm Scouting, Threshold and Management GuidelinesTrue armyworm have been found in a few fields this weekend. Cereals, corn (especially, though not exclusive those fields planted into rye) and mixed forages are at risk and should be scouted every three or four days over the next three weeks. True armyworm identification was covered in a previous blog this spring (here). Scouting Guidelines: The best time to…
Tracey Baute June 8, 2017 2053 Comments Off on Good Year for Seedcorn Maggot and Other Early Season PestsWith delayed planting, slower crop emergence and frequent rain events, early season pests get a longer period of time to feed on the seed and seedlings. There are a number of pests causing problems right now. Seedcorn maggots are causing injury in both corn and soybean fields. Although higher risk fields include those that have manure or green vegetation incorporated…