Reports have been coming in about pod feeding from bean leaf beetle (BLB) in IP, food grade and seed soybeans. Pod damage on crush beans typically does not warrant control. Foliar feeding (defoliation) is rarely the concern this time of year. But BLB can feed on the surface of the pod which exposes the seed inside to pod diseases that…
bean leaf beetle

2018 has been an insect year. As we start to approach the end of summer, there are still a few pests to be concerned about before the crops are ready for harvest. Western bean cutworm (WBC): Overall, the WBC population have been lower than previous years. With the majority of the corn crop beyond the fresh silk stage in the…

Bean 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…

With the delay in growing degree day accumulation and crop maturity, many fields are still in the ideal growth stages that put them at risk of some of our later season pests and diseases. Western bean cutworm (WBC) Peak moth flight for western bean cutworm has finally passed for all regions of the province. Central and eastern counties were the…

Despite 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…
Note: This post was originally published in July of 2010, but once again in 2012 there are reports of Japanese beetles feeding on soybeans. In particular it would be worthwhile to go and click on the article below that shows what the leaf feeding insects look like along with threshold values. There are quite few calls coming in from people…

It’s time to get out and scout for WBC damage in dry beans. Based on trap counts we are now confident that some counties experienced peak flight the last week of July and others the first week of August. Though I will admit that some trap sites are still catching lots of moths, especially the bean trap sites. And the…
Reports are coming in late last week of fields in Eastern Ontario reaching well above threshold levels for soybean aphids. Just a few weeks prior, these fields had only 30 to 40 per plant. I suspect other fields in even Central and Southern Ontario will also experience this kind of rapid increase as daytime and more importantly night time temps…

Now that some of you have been fortunate enough to get some corn in, I am hearing reports and seeing tweets that soybean planting has also started. If there was a year to protect your soybeans with an insecticide seed treatment it is this year. Bean leaf beetles are going to be awfully hungry waiting for the soybean crop to…

Gaps in the stand are starting to show this week. Aside from the typical culprits, moist soils can promote the less often accused. Millipedes are typically a beneficial arthropod that breaks down crop debris and decaying plant material. However, in the last few years, we’ve been seeing more direct feeding by them. What is happening? We have been planting earlier…
Thanks to Nick Zwambag for commenting on here that they are seeing cabbage seedpod weevil activity in winter canola near thamesville earlier this week. But with this weather, little can be done about it and fortunately the cool temps should slow them down a bit. Scout once this front goes through and see what infestations are like then. Bean leaf…
There are a few guys out there thinking that with the cooler nights, SOYBEAN APHIDS will be leaving their fields so they don’t need to spray those fields that recently reached threshold. If aphids are staying at threshold levels 3 or 4 days after the initial assessment, you still need to spray. Only those fields that are dropping in numbers or…
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…
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…
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…