Red and silver maples can be host to an interesting looking scale insect, the cottony maple leaf scale. Entomologists tend to be on-the-nose when naming things, so unsurprisingly this scale insect specializes in feeding on leaves and, at one point…
Spongy Moth Traps Have Been Deployed
Spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, is a pest that we don’t want to get established in Kentucky. To that end, a national effort known as Slow the Spread has been helping to monitor for and eliminate emerging…
Posted in Forest Trees
EPA IPM Webinar: Read the Label – Pesticide Label Guidance
A key component of integrated pest management (IPM) is the appropriate use of pesticides. Understanding how to read, interpret, and follow instructions on a pesticide label is critical for effective use of a product. A free EPA webinar provides tips…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
Fire Blight (PPFS-FR-T-12)
Fire blight is a highly destructive disease of apple and pear that can occur in commercial orchards and residential plantings. Many landscape trees and shrubs in the rose family are also susceptible to this disease. Under favorable environmental conditions, fire…
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
Tips for Drying & Storing Wheat
As wheat harvest approaches, now is a good time to consider drying and storage options. A good place to start is by reviewing the equilibrium moisture content chart for soft red winter wheat below, which shows the limits of drying,…
Posted in Grains
IPM 20-point Checklist for Controlling Insects in Stored Wheat
Prior to Harvest [ ] Clean all equipment thoroughly to remove old grain, trash, and debris that might contaminate the new crop – combines, carts, trucks, receiving pits/hoppers, conveyers: use pressurized air/water or an industrial wet/dry vacuum storage bins: use…
Posted in Grains
Hanging by a Thread
Dead, curled leaves dangling by fungal “threads” are typical of a disease called thread blight. This disease is more common in eastern Kentucky, where it has been observed on apple, cherry, and viburnum. Other potential hosts include cotoneaster, dogwood, gooseberry,…
Posted in Fruit, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Peach Scout Website
The publication An IPM Scouting Guide for Common Problems of Peach in Kentucky was first introduced in 2020 as an online/paper version (ID-260). In addition to the online/paper version, and as a way to improve access to this important scouting…
Posted in Fruit
IPM Scouting Guides for Common Problems of Fruit Crops
One of the key components of IPM is to frequently scout and monitor crops to identify problems before they result in significant economic losses. Proper identification of pathogens, insect pests, nutritional, and physiologic disorders, as well as herbicide drift, 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
Cedar-Apple Rust
Cedar-apple rust is the most common and economically important rust disease of apple in Kentucky. The pathogen overwinters as galls on cedar and juniper. Removal of these pathogen sources on cedar can later reduce disease incidence on apple. Once apple…
Posted in Fruit
Strawberry Scout Website
The publication An IPM Scouting Guide for Common Problems of Strawberry in Kentucky was first introduced in 2016 as an online/paper version. In order to improve access to this important scouting guide, a mobile website was developed. The Strawberry Scout…
Posted in Fruit
Insect Control with Home Vegetables
A question many home vegetable gardeners might ask themselves is: Should I spray my vegetable crops to control insect pests? In some years, it seems like pests appear almost out of nowhere and ruin the anticipated harvest. Particularly with rising…
Posted in Vegetables
Managing the Notorious Squash Bug
I get more questions about having to manage squash bug, a key pest of squash, gourds and pumpkins in Kentucky, than possibly any other insect pest of vegetables. While many of the questions occur in mid-summer when high populations of…
Posted in Vegetables
Kentucky Pest News 