Much of the wheat crop in Kentucky has headed out and is flowering. Stripe rust (Figure 1) is now present in many Kentucky counties on susceptible varieties, and according to the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center, the current risk of…
Monthly Archives: April 2017
Scouting for True Armyworms Is Highly Recommended in Small Grains and Early Corn
During the week of April 15 to 21, 2017, there were 301 (Princeton) and 4 (Lexington) captures of true armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta) moths in pheromone-based traps in those locations. For Princeton, this is a 1/3 fold increase in 1 week…
Posted in Grains
Fire Blight Alert and Risk Map Overview
Apple trees are blooming throughout the Commonwealth. 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 using the Fire Blight Disease Prediction Model. Growers…
Posted in Fruit
Calico Scale Can Be a Nemesis of Landscape Trees
Scale insects are often overlooked sap-feeding insects that can be serious pests of shade and ornamental trees. The calico scale, a soft scale, has caused significant problems in Kentucky, especially for maples, sweetgum, honey locust, Japanese Zelkova, crabapples, and wild…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
May Beetles Are Emerging— Some Are Munchers
May beetles are a group of brown-to-black beetles that can emerge suddenly from lawns and grassy fields in early spring, especially following rain. Depending on the species, larvae (white grubs) will have fed on grass roots for several months, or…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Highlights
The following plant disease highlights from the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories represent recent sample submissions from field crops, fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals. Recent diagnostic samples of agronomic crops have included white mold (Sclerotinia) on alfalfa; Pythium root…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
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
Alfalfa Weevil – The Next Step
Alfalfa weevils have been very damaging in some fields this year (Figure 1). While Individual larvae feed for about 3 weeks, a wide window for egg hatch this year has resulted in an extended season. Unfortunately, additional damage is still…
Posted in Forages
Flea Beetles and Other Insect Pests of Spring Vegetables
While flea beetles are a common problem of spring vegetable crops, they can be particularly troublesome following mild winters. We often refer to flea beetles as if they were a single pest; however, there are several different species of flea…
Posted in Vegetables
Fire Blight Alert and Risk Map Overview
Apple trees are blooming throughout the Commonwealth. 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 using the Fire Blight Disease Prediction Model. Growers…
Posted in Fruit
Reducing Pesticide Drift
Drift is the uncontrolled movement of a pesticide away from its target area. Drift can damage susceptible off-target sites (plants, animals, etc.), reduces pest control (which wastes the pesticide and money), and contaminates the environment (water pollution and illegal pesticide…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
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
Fire Blight Alert and Risk Map Overview
Apple trees are blooming throughout the Commonwealth. 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 using the Fire Blight Disease Prediction Model. Growers…
Posted in Fruit
Ambrosia Beetles Are Out Looking for New Hosts
Two invasive ambrosia beetle species are serious pests in nursery and landscape trees and shrubs: granulate ambrosia beetle (Figure 1), and black stem borer (Figure 2). Ambrosia beetles are about 2 to 4 mm in length and spend most of…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs, Nursery Crops
Ticks May Be on the Rise This Year
A series of notes on the radio, television, and printed media has provided information on predicting high populations of ticks in New York this year. This is based on a plague of mice in the Hudson Valley in the summer…
Posted in Human Pests, Pet Pests
Kentucky Pest News 