You Are Here: Management Updates 2001 Archive April 17, 2001

Date: April 17, 2001
Category: Insects
Subject: White Grubs, Hyperodes Weevils, Chinch Bugs and Billbugs

Spring is finally making its way into New England, and the usual turf insects are right on schedule. WHITE GRUBS in most areas of New England survived the winter just fine, and in fact probably were favored by the extended period of snow cover. European chafer grubs have been up and feeding (primarily in eastern Massachusetts) for a few weeks already, while Japanese beetles and oriental beetles are just getting back to the surface now in interior New England.

As this is written (13 April) the rivers are rising and the ground is saturated in many areas. Normally saturated soils do not pose a problem for grubs but it is possible, if the saturation persists for several days, that there may be some grub mortality. Don't count on it, though!

ANNUAL BLUEGRASS WEEVILS have begun to move out from their overwintering sites in Westchester County, New York, and we have even collected a few weevils from pitfall traps as far north as Hartford. If the warming trend continues for the next few days, you can expect to see weevils moving in much of New England by the end of next week. However, egg laying almost certainly will be a little later than usual (because it has been such a cool and wet spring). Insecticide applications should not be made until Forsythia is well past peak bloom (one or two weeks after peak bloom is a good target date).

It is too early to tell, but I suspect CHINCH BUGS AND BILLBUGS survived the winter just fine. Again the extended period of snow cover provided plenty of insulation. However, we sometimes see an increased incidence of Beauveria bassiana, the fungal disease that can attack chinch bugs in particular. (This is the disease that leaves insects covered in tiny white fungal spores - they look like tiny servings of cotton candy.) We may see enough activity from the fungus to knock down significant numbers of insects, and if we get half a break from weather in the summer (i.e., if it is not unusually hot and dry), we may not see as much damage from these two insects as we sometimes encounter.

So - hold on to your hats, here we go again!

- Submitted by: Dr. Pat Vittum