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

Date: July 17, 2001
Category: Insects
Subject: Beetle Adults, Black Turfgrass Ataenius, Hyperodes, Chinch Bugs, Billbugs

The armyworm situation is described in a separate message

Meanwhile there are plenty of other insects making their presence known this summer. The various scarab beetles have been flying for some time now - EUROPEAN CHAFER, JAPANESE BEETLE, ORIENTAL BEETLE, and ASIATIC GARDEN BEETLE. Those turf managers who are planning to use the long residual products (Merit or Mach 2) should aim to have their applications in place by the end of July if targeting European chafers or oriental beetles, and by the middle of August if targeting Japanese beetles.

We have been getting occasional reports of BLACK TURFGRASS ATAENIUS grub activity on golf courses. In most cases the grubs appear to be quite small. At this point there would be a couple options - Turcam should be quite effective as long as the grubs are no longer than 0.25 inch long, and Proxol or Dylox can be used a little bit later in the cycle. In most cases blanket applications are NOT appropriate. Scout and determine where the grubs are active, and treat an area about one "pass" beyond the margin of that area. Remember to water that application in.

ANNUAL BLUEGRASS WEEVIL activity is heavy in some areas, and relatively light in others. Now that we are into the summer months, we are observing lots of overlap in each location, so any time we collect samples, we are finding adults, small larvae, medium larvae, large larvae, and pupae. OF course that makes it difficult to figure out what is going on, but because we are sampling from throughout New England, we are generally able to piece things together.

Most golf courses in southern New England should be approaching a period where they might experience some damage from the second generation of larvae. It is probaby too late to apply insecticides that are normally used to control adults (e.g., the pyrethroids or Dursban), but if damage is visible, you can get some relief from fast-acting products that move through the thatch. Note that annual bluegrass weevils are not on the label of one such product (Dylox), but in some states, the use is permitted because the site is labeled. In other states, its use would be prohibited because both the site and the pest must appear on the label.

My guess is that we will see a third generation in most of the metropolitan New York area (and points south), as well as much of Connecticut and Rhode Island, while golf courses in Vermont and New Hampshire might only see two generations.

BILLBUG and CHINCHBUG activity seems to be fairly low so far. I'm not sure whether that is because there was some natural mortality during the wet periods of late winter, or because people are scrambling to deal with the armyworm infestations. In either case, this front seems mercifully quiet so far. If we have a two or three week period with limited rainfall, that could change.

- Submitted by: Dr. Pat Vittum