Still In the Woods

More accurately,  we aren’t out of the woods yet.  Most years it seems we will treat a few peanut fields for cutworms early in the season. In my mind, that period of time is usually early June. However, it seems a  little later this season and we are seeing a few problem fields crop up. I’ve been checking peanuts in the blistering heat, and although we can find some raggy looking peanuts, there are typically few cutworms to be found in sight. We can find some feeding in almost all fields, and I would say most fields are averaging one cutworm/foot of row. Here is a short video looking for cutworm in the middle of the day. You may have better luck with a flashlight at night, but for most of us that is easier said than done. I’ve heard some talk about treatment for Lesser Cornstalk Borer.  I have actually only seen two in the past six weeks of scouting. When we get high rainfall years, they are typically controlled by natural forces, although that rainfall appears to have shut off recently. I am also just beginning to find a few fields with threshold levels of soybean loopers. Keep an eye out. Things are hit and miss for caterpillar pests right now.

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