New Name & Seasonal Update Since 2013, Melanaphis sacchari has been known as the sugarcane aphid; however, entomologist decided to change its name to sorghum aphid in view of the fact that sorghum is the main host of this pest.…
Updates on the Sugarcane Aphid: A New Name, Insecticides for its Control, and Populations in 2022
Posted in Forages
The wasp Campoletis sonorensis Detected Parasitizing Corn Earworm in Hemp
The corn earworm (CEW), Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a key pest on hemp in the United States. Caterpillars actively feed on hemp flowers, fruit, and seeds; less commonly on leaves. Although this insect is considered to be of economic…
Posted in Hemp
What Says the Wooly Bear about Winter?
Now that summer is winding down, things like pumpkin spice, Halloween costumes, and hoodies may start appearing. Conversations may also start to turn toward predictions regarding the upcoming winter. A quick Google search reveals that there seems to be a…
Posted in Misc. Topics
Sampling for the Tall Fescue Endophyte in Pasture or Hay Stands (PPA-30)
Tall fescue growing in Kentucky can be colonized by the tall fescue endophyte, a fungus which causes disorders in livestock that feed on the infected grass. The first step to minimizing the impact of endophyte-infected grass on herd productivity is…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
2022 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
Calculator for Stored Grain Capacity, Bin Sub-floor Volume and Wall and Grain Surface Areas
As corn and soybean harvests approach, stored grain managers on farms, elevators, and warehouses are preparing different types of structures for service. This may include applying approved insecticides or grain protectants to guard against damage caused by insects during storage.…
Posted in Grains
Sap Beetles, Opportunistic Secondary Pests on Field Corn
Problem and Damage During the last week of August, I received a corn sample that had an infestation of whitish colored larvae on the ears. These larvae were feeding on the ears and making holes into intact kernels, as shown…
Posted in Grains
Deer, Slugs, Voles, Blister Beetles, and What Else Is Damaging Soybeans?
Description of the Problem Last Thursday (9/1/22), I received a series of pictures showing a soybean field with small plants, and blank patches, plants with stems severed by apparent feeding by deer, and stripped blister beetles feeding on the leaves…
Posted in Grains
Hackberry Psyllids Cause Bumpy Leaves
Hackberry trees are fairly common in the landscapes of Kentucky. Some of them were purposefully planted after the fall of the elms from Dutch elm disease, though others seem to spring up on their own. Regardless of their provenance, when…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Managing Diseases with Sanitation Practices
When diseases occur in commercial or residential plantings, it is often presumed that fungicides are the most important and effective disease management tools available. However, a good sanitation program can help reduce the need for chemical controls and can improve…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
2022 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
Corn Earworm and Yellow-striped Armyworm Have Started their Feast on Hemp
As a growing industry in the United States, hemp (Cannabis sativa with <0.3% of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) has exponentially increased, not only in its number of licensed acres (approximately 500,000 across 45 states), but also in its capacity to diversify into at…
Posted in Hemp
Sooty Blotch & Flyspeck Make for Ugly Apples
The time for apple harvest in Kentucky has arrived, bringing with it the possibility of less than perfect looking apples. Sooty blotch and/or flyspeck are one of many causes for blemished, ugly apples. The two fungal diseases occur together as…
Posted in Fruit
Spotted Lanternfly on the Move North of Kentucky
The spotted lanternfly (aka SLF) is a serious invasive insect pest native to East Asia and was first found in SE Pennsylvania in 2014. Since that initial discovery, it has spread to many counties in Pennsylvania, as well as into…
Posted in General Pests
So, the Fall Invasions Begin
Based on what I saw trying to enter my home this weekend, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has begun the search for overwintering sites. Either I’m searching harder or this is earlier than what I’ve seen before. So, if you…
Posted in Household Pests
Kentucky Pest News 