Apple trees are beginning to bloom and many pear are in full bloom across Kentucky. Infection by the fire blight bacterium occurs during bloom, thus, protectant antibiotics should be applied when risk is high. Risk for infection can be assessed…
Monthly Archives: March 2016
Lone Star Ticks Active
Outdoor activities and spring cleanup provide chances to enjoy the outdoors after a long winter. Removing some of the ‘things’ that have accumulated over the winter is hard but rewarding work as long as picking up ticks isn’t part of…
Posted in Human Pests
Featured Publication
Fungicide Guide for Burley and Dark Tobacco (PPFS-AG-T-08) The 2016 update of the Fungicide Guide for Burley and Dark Tobacco is now available. This guide lists the chemicals labeled for tobacco disease management in Kentucky for both transplant float bed…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
2016 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
2015 Pest Damage Survey
The UK Integrated Pest Management Program is conducting a survey to evaluate the impact of some large populations of insects during spring and fall 2015. This information will help us understand and improve the usefulness of the weekly trap data…
Posted in Announcements
Fire Blight Alert and Risk Map Overview
Apple trees are approaching bloom and many pear trees are in full bloom, especially in southwestern Kentucky. Infection by the fire blight bacterium occurs during bloom, thus, protectant antibiotics should be applied when risk is high. Risk for infection can…
Posted in Fruit
Volunteers Needed for Spotted Wing Drosophila Trapping in 2016
Spring has arrived and several fruit crops are blooming or will soon bloom. The first of the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) susceptible crops will be strawberries, followed by cherries, blueberries, blackberries, fall raspberries, and grapes. SWD is a threat that…
Posted in Fruit
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Hatch Is Underway
Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) eggs, which were laid last June, are hatching just as leaf buds are swelling on wild cherry trees. Newly hatched eggs are easy to identify by the small holes that the tiny larvae chew as they…
Posted in Forest Trees, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Got Big, Gangly-legged Flies?
Cool spring weather is ideal for crane flies. Many species of these long-legged mosquito-like flies live in Kentucky. They come in many sizes and resemble their close relatives: mosquitoes (Figure 1). Crane flies do not have the long sucking mouthparts…
Posted in Lawn & Turf
Ground Nesting Bees Are Important Pollinators
Several species of ground-nesting bees tunnel in well-drained soil in sunny areas, often near flowering trees. Most ground bees are 3/8 to 1/2 inch long and vary in color from solid black to bright metallic hues; all have relatively “hairy”…
Posted in Lawn & Turf
Reminder: Final Endosulfan Phase-out and Cancellation This Summer
One of the last organochlorine insecticides, endosulfan, has been undergoing a cancellation and phase-out over the past several years. This product’s phase-out is due to unacceptable risk to farm workers and the environment, as well as persistence in the environment.…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
Dicamba Stewardship Message
Monsanto has incorporated the following dicamba stewardship message in a variety of materials, including on or in product seed packaging and in stewardship, educational, and sales literature for Roundup Ready 2 XtendTM soybean. This information has been distributed to growers,…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
Featured Publication
Plant Diseases – Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 6 (PPA-46) The newly revised Plant Disease chapter in the Master Gardener Manual (Figure 1) focuses on those living organisms that cause disease: fungi, water molds, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, phytoplasmas, and parasitic…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Highlights
The following plant disease highlights from the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories represent recent sample submissions from vegetables and ornamentals. Diseases diagnosed recently include drop (Sclerotinia) on lettuce; timber rot on tomato; and root knot nematode on carrot…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
2016 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
Kentucky Pest News 