There is one thing I know to be true right now: nobody wants to spend another penny spraying anything on the 2025 peanut crop. Unfortunately, I have gotten several reports of heavy velvetbean caterpillar infestations in peanut fields in south-central Georgia over the last several days. One of them was in a field that was freshly dug.
The question comes up nearly every year: if peanuts are dug with caterpillars in the field, will the caterpillars feed on the pegs? Can it happen? Yes. Does it happen often? No. How likely is it to happen? I don’t know.
All of that said, I would not invert my peanuts with an above threshold population of half grown or bigger caterpillars in the field.
Even if the caterpillars are gone by digging, and even if it is too late for defoliation to cause direct yield loss, I don’t want to have to invert a field of stems…if you have ever tried it, you know why.
Please take a moment in the mornings before you get on the picker to check your fields that have not been dug to be sure that velvetbean caterpillars are not at threshold.
If you have questions about this or any other insect pest issue in peanut, please contact your local UGA county Extension agent.
