Biology & Phenology of Dectes Stem Borer in Kentucky The adult Dectes stem borer, Dectes texanus texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a long horned beetle approximately 3/8 inch long and gray in color. It has long, slender antennae that can be…
Soybean Stem Borer: An Unnoticed Bug That May Cause Problems during Harvest and Reduce Yields in Soybeans
Posted in Grains
Armillaria Root Rot – A Threat to Stressed Landscape Trees
Tree stress can come from numerous factors, including weather, mechanical damage, insects, or poor growing conditions. These stresses make plants more susceptible to the plant disease Armillaria root rot. This fungal disease is also known as shoestring root rot, mushroom…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
2017 Insect Trap Counts
Trap counts for major insect pests are provided by the Kentucky IPM Program. Traps are located at the UK Research and Education Center in western Kentucky and the UK Spindletop Farm in Lexington. Below are trap counts for the current…
Posted in Insect Trap Counts
Update on Soybean Rust
With soybean rust being observed in late August in Giles County, Tennessee (south-central TN), and with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma potentially carrying and depositing spores of the soybean rust fungus along its path, the detection of soybean rust in Kentucky…
Posted in Grains
Copious Amounts of Honeydew Produced by Sugarcane Aphids Attracts Bees and Other Insects: Do We Need To Be Worried?
Do we need to be concerned about bees feeding on honeydew produced by sugarcane aphids in sorghum fields? This is a question heard on repeated occasions when visiting sorghum fields infested by sugarcane aphids, and it was recently e-mailed to…
Posted in Grains
Transplant Shock: Disease or Cultural Problem?
Autumn has arrived in Kentucky, and now is one of the best times to plant new trees. Cool-season planting allows trees to “focus” on root system development. Woody plants may take as long as 3 to 5 years to establish…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Bringing the Web to Your Yard
Several web-making caterpillars can be active in late summer. They cooperate to bind leaves and branches together into unsightly, but protective, nests where the can feed more or less undisturbed. Species active at this time of year include the relatively…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
