You Are Here: Management Updates 2004 Archive April 28, 2004

Date: April 28, 2004
Category: Insects
Subject: Which Turf Insecticides Can I Use?

Last week we posted an update commenting on options for controlling white grubs in the spring. The insecticide that is most likely to provide "relief" against the spring grubs, trichlorfon (Dylox™), is not available to many turf managers in New England, for a variety of reasons. For example, trichlorfon cannot be used on school grounds in Massachusetts, nor can it be used anywhere in Maine.

As an aside for turf managers maintaining school grounds in Massachusetts who desperately need to reduce grub populations this spring, see the updates posted a year ago on this web site. These updates mention some entomopathogenic nematodes that might help in some circumstances. Also note that the nematodes have been inconsistent, and there certainly is question as to whether the nematodes will work on the species of grubs that are present in much of southern New England.

It is always difficult to compose turf recommendations that are read by people in many different states, all of which have different regulations and limitations for pesticide registrations. Meanwhile federal registrations for many turf pesticides are changing. For example, several products that have been used in turf settings for 20 years or more (such as Oftanol™ and Turcam™) will no longer be available after 2004, and functionally most of them are already gone from the market. Some of the "changes" are a result of the Food Quality Protection Act, a federal law passed in 1996, while other cancellations are a result of state laws.

In the future I will include a "disclaimer" on each release of our updates. It is always the responsibility of the applicator to confirm the availability of a product before making an application. Keep in mind that some limitations (such as the ban of trichlorfon on school grounds in Massachusetts) will not appear on the pesticide label, but it remains the responsibility of the applicator to be familiar with all local laws and regulations. And as always, mention of a commercial product in these web updates does not imply endorsement by the author of the update or the University of Massachusetts.

- Submitted by: Dr. Pat Vittum