It is proving to be a big year for Japanese beetles in Illinois, and while populations should be starting to decline in much of the state, there is still a lot of feeding going on. The damage these insects cause can be eye-catching, especially on the edges of fields where Japanese beetles tend to congregate; however, before you decide to put out an insecticide, you want to be sure that decision is justified by the economics of the system.…
Authors: Nick Seiter, Joe Spencer, and Kelly Estes
Based on degree day accumulations, western corn rootworm egg hatch should be underway in much of Illinois (roughly south of Peoria as of May 29; you can view your specific location using the degree day calculator here: https://www.isws.illinois.edu/warm/pestdata/sqlchoose1.asp). We are probably just over a month away from seeing the emergence of the first adult beetles. With low rootworm populations for the last several years, there has been a renewed interest in adult sampling.…
With corn planting wrapping up throughout most of Illinois, the time has come to scout for cutworms. While several species of cutworms infest early season corn, black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) is the most likely to cause economic damage. We have received a handful of reports of cutting in southern Illinois, with more expected in the coming weeks as heat units begin to accumulate. If you are not doing so already, follow Kelly Estes’s reports on the Bulletin and through Twitter (@ILPestSurvey) for up to date information on black cutworm moth flights and degree-day accumulations.…
Authors: Nick Seiter, Talon Becker, and Nathan Johanning
Slugs can be a difficult pest to manage when conditions are favorable for them, which has been the case often (particularly in southern Illinois) over the last couple of years. These mollusks can damage both corn and soybean early in the season, along with a variety of other crops; however, they have the potential to be especially problematic in soybean, where they can kill the cotyledons and ultimately reduce stands.…
Authors: Nick Seiter, Joe Spencer, and Kelly Estes
Rootworm management is a yearly consideration for most corn producers in central and northern Illinois. Western corn rootworm (Fig. 1) is the primary pest species throughout most of the state, but areas in northern IL can experience pest pressure from the northern corn rootworm (Fig. 2) as well. Adult population densities have been low in recent years compared with historical averages, although they did creep up a bit in 2017.…
The EPA recently opened a public comment period on ecological risk assessments of four neonicotinoid insecticides as part of the ongoing registration review for these materials. The purpose of this comment period is to allow stakeholders and the general public to provide input on the risks and benefits of these materials related to their use in agricultural production. A press release detailing this announcement can be found at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-releases-neonicotinoid-assessments-public-comment. At the bottom of the page,…