Got Spotted Lanternfly Eggs on Your Tree? Send ‘Em Through the Wood Chipper
The invasive spotted lanternfly often lays its eggs on tree limbs and trunks. A new study finds that putting infested wood through a wood chipper effectively destroys spotted lanternfly egg masses, and researchers recommend the practice for reducing the potential spread of the pest.
Hessian Fly: New Guide Details Wheat Pest Management
The Hessian fly is a major pest of wheat around the world. A new guide in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management outlines the fly's biology and life cycle and an array of tactics that can be combined to manage the pest.
Bodycams Can Make for Better Agricultural Pest Management, Too
In a new study at the University of Arizona, researchers used body-mounted cameras to evaluate the efficiency of two insect pest sampling techniques—a sweepnet and a vacuum—in a cotton field. The perspective offered new insights into how such methods can be evaluated and could help growers and integrated pest management professionals further fine-tune their sampling techniques.
Fighting Flies With Flies: An In-Depth Look at the 2016 Screwworm Outbreak Response in Florida
The return of the screwworm to Florida in 2016 was a surprise, but entomologists with the USDA and local, state, and international partners were prepared to respond. A new, in-depth report in the Journal of Medical Entomology shares a detailed account of their work re-eradicating the pest via the sterile insect technique—plus new lessons learned along the way.
Bt Corn Adoption Benefits Other Crops, Too
A new study of 40 years' worth of data from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States finds that widespread adoption of insect-resistant Bt corn has reduced pest damage and the need for insecticide applications in offsite, non-Bt crops such as pepper, green beans, and sweet corn, as well.
Got Aphids? Call in the Reinforcements With Banker Plants
To manage pest infestations in greenhouses, banker plants draw in different insect species that don’t feed on the main crop but do serve as hosts for predator insects that will also attack the pest on the main crop—a useful (and green) tool for integrated pest management.
Bait-Stricken Termites Still Heed Call to Molt in Their Central Nest
A recent study at the University of Florida found that termites baited with an insecticide known as a chitin synthesis inhibitor will still follow their natural compulsion to return to their central nest to molt, an important factor in the efficacy of such baits.
Invasive Fly Targets North American Onions, Leeks, Related Crops
The allium leafminer damages crops such as onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks through larval feeding and adult egg-laying in plant tissue. Native to Europe, the invasive species was first discovered in North America in December 2015 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Emerald Ash Borer: How Cities and Towns to Prepare for Invasion
In Pennsylvania, where emerald ash borer has been present since 2007, municipalities have found successful ash-management plans under guidance of the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and they offer a model for other regions to follow.
Another Natural Enemy of Invasive Kudzu Bug Arrives in North America
A wasp species native to Asia was discovered in North America for the first time and shows promise as a potential biological control for kudzu bug.
A New Tool for Picking the Right Pesticide for an IPM Program
A new "IPM Criteria Guidance Document" provides integrated pest management professionals, extension entomologists, and growers a common set of criteria to compare pesticides and make a selection based on compatibility within a given IPM plan.
Brown Recluse: Pest Management Tips for the Spider That’s Not as Common as You Think
Sightings of the brown recluse are rare outside its known range, but if its presence is confirmed, here's what to do about it.
When Educating About Insects, Instructional Video Can Help
Extension entomologists at Texas A&M have used short instructional videos to supplement face-to-face education sessions for growers on integrated pest management, and analysis of their use shows the videos are improving learning outcomes.
Maintaining Susceptibility to Insecticidal Traits in Populations of Corn Pests
Should growers that use Bt crops plant a separate nearby refuge field of non-insecticidal crops, or use a blended mixture of seeds that produce both in the same field?
What Lies Beneath: Grape Root Borer in Eastern Vineyards
Grape root borers are slow killers of grape vines, but also are hard to detect.
In Search of Soybeans Resistant to the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a major pest; USDA researchers hope to breed a resistant soybean.