Recent Posts
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Two spotted spider mites are widespread in Georgia peanut fields as we approach the final weeks of the 2024 growing season. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions, and they are often more abundant in fields where broad spectrum insecticides have been applied. The recent cooler, cloudy, rainy conditions in the state may have slowed…
Posted in: spider mite -
Among the items on a long list of things that will need attention after this week’s storm has passed is scouting peanut fields for insect pests. We are already experiencing higher than “normal” caterpillar pressure this year, and we are now entering the portion of the season when velvetbean caterpillar and soybean looper typically show…
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Many peanut fields in Georgia received much needed rain over the past two weeks. This does not mean that lesser cornstalk borers (LCB) will be gone from those fields. Rain DOES NOT kill LCBs. Cool moist conditions are not favorable for the pest, but in situations where populations are already high, sporadic rainfall will have…
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Elevated caterpillar pressure has been reported in peanut over a wide area of south and central Georgia in recent days. Most folks report a mix of species, but beet armyworm has been the most abundant foliage feeder in many fields. Peanuts are at the highest risk for yield loss from defoliation at around 80 days…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
The recent advent of hotter and drier weather has brought with it the first reports of lesser cornstalk borers (LCB) in Georgia peanut fields. I have also gotten a number of calls and texts over the last 10 days about foliage feeding caterpillars at or near threshold. I have not personally identified any of the…
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Cotton, Peanut, and Soybean Scout School will be held at the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center in Midville on Tuesday, June 11. This program offers basic information on insect pest identification and damage, natural enemies, and scouting procedures. The training will serve as an introduction to insect monitoring for new scouts and as a…
Posted in: scouting -
Peanut planting season is well underway in Georgia, and the insect issue of greatest concern this time of year is thrips. The feeding injury caused by these tiny insects will slow seedling growth and can result in lost yield. More importantly, thrips transmit Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus which can have devastating impact on peanut yield.…
Posted in: Thrips -
I have gotten several reports of building populations of garden fleahoppers (GFH) in peanut (and other crops) over the last couple weeks. Below is a UGA Peanut Entomology blog post from a few years ago about GFH that will give you some basic information about the insect. As always, if you have questions about garden…
Posted in: Garden fleahopper -
Velvetbean caterpillars (VBC) have become abundant in Georgia peanut fields over the last 10 days. Growers that do not have a scout or consultant should check their fields for infestations TODAY. Over the course of the last week I have seen fields stripped to bare stems and have heard of caterpillar counts up to 15…
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After thrips, foliage feeding caterpillars are the most often treated insect pest in Georgia peanut fields. While it is certainly not uncommon for caterpillar infestations to reach the economic threshold (the threshold ranges from 4 to 8 caterpillars per row foot depending on crop condition), not every peanut field in the state will need to…