Willie Chance

Japanese beetles return to Georgia landscapes

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Paul Pugliese, Agriculture & natural resources agent for the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office in Bartow County

Japanese beetles dine on canna lily branches Image credit - Sharon Dowdy.
Japanese beetles dine on canna lily branches Image credit – Sharon Dowdy.

With their metallic copper and blue-green bodies and bronze wings, Japanese beetles might be considered beautiful if not for the damage they cause. The plentiful beetles munch holes into the leaves of landscape plants leaving what is often described as skeletal remains.

Prior to last year, Georgia had a few years of drought and unusually mild winters. The warm, dry soil conditions were not conducive for Japanese beetle grubs to survive over the fall and winter throughout most of Georgia. This gave Georgia gardeners and landscapes a nice reprieve from the pest and its damage.

Perfect conditions return

This past winter was ideal for Japanese beetle grubs and home and commercial gardeners are suffering through a resurgence of adult beetles this summer. The severity of local Japanese beetle populations varies depending on temperature and soil moisture. Most surveys indicate that Japanese beetles do not occur further south than the “fall line” between Macon and Augusta in Georgia. Yet, they can be found as far north as Canada.

If you’ve fought Japanese Beetles before, there’s a good chance they will return to your landscape – especially if your have some of their preferred plants. Japanese beetles feed on more than 300 species of broad-leaved plants but prefer about 50 species. Commonly attacked hosts include peach, cultivated and wild grapes, raspberry, plum, roses, apple, cherry, corn, hibiscus, hollyhock, dahlia, zinnia, elm, horse chestnut, linden, willow, crape myrtle, elder, evening primrose and sassafras.

They love leaves

The good news is the beetles only affect the leaves of trees and shrubs, so healthy plants can tolerate significant leaf loss without long-term consequences.

Adult Japanese beetles live four to six weeks, lay eggs (mostly in mid-August) and die. If the soil is sufficiently moist, the eggs will swell and produce larvae in about two weeks. The rest of the year, the beetles live underground in a larval stage feeding on the roots of grass and other plants before maturing into adult beetles in the summer.

Japanese beetle larvae are plump, C-shaped white grubs often seen in the spring when garden soil is first tilled. The grubs need soil moisture to survive the winter. Frequently irrigated lawns and landscapes tend to have higher grub populations.

Adult beetles emerge from the soil and begin seeking out plants for food in late May and early June. The first round of beetles are known as “scouts” because they find a good food source and release pheromone scents to attract more beetles. The masses then gather to feed and mate.

Control the first ones!

The key is to catch the early arrivers as soon as possible. Handpick or knock adult beetles off plants and drown them in soapy water. This is an effective control option for managing small infestations and preventing them from attracting more beetles.

Pheromone lure traps are not recommended for general Japanese beetle control in a small garden. They tend to attract more beetles to the area than would normally be present. Trapping should be done in areas away from gardens or landscapes to lure beetles away from desired plants.

Adult beetles can be controlled with over-the-counter insecticides. During heavy beetle outbreaks, sprays may be needed every seven to ten days to protect high-value, specimen plants like roses. A single application of a longer-lasting systemic insecticide, like imidacloprid, needs to be made 20 days before adult Japanese beetles are expected — usually around mid-May. Most systemic treatment options are not labeled for use on plants that produce edible fruits. Read and follow pesticide label’s application rates and safety precautions.

Controlling the grub stage generally has little effect on the overall damage caused by adult beetles, since adults can fly into your landscape from up to a mile away. Most homeowners rarely have grub populations large enough to cause damage to home lawns. Treatment may be necessary if more than five to ten grubs per square foot are present in lawns. Late summer and early fall insecticide applications are most effective at killing young grubs.

Do you recognize this large wasp found in landscapes now?

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Cicada Killer Wasps

Nancy Hinkle, UGA Extension Entomologist

Cicada killer - Jessica Lawrence, NC State Entomology Department, Bugwood.org
Cicada killer – Jessica Lawrence, NC State Entomology Department, Bugwood.org

The cicada killer wasp is the largest wasp in Georgia. The cicada killer wasp is almost two inches long. Although intimidating in appearance, these wasps are not something we humans have to worry about. Cicadas, on the other hand, should be very afraid. Cicada killer wasp adults feed on nectar but use paralyzed cicadas to feed their young.

Female cicada killers are hard to provoke to sting.  The female uses her stinger to paralyze her prey (cicadas) rather than in self defense. The female’s attention is focused on providing food for her babies, so she poses little threat to humans.

Cicada killers prefer to nest in sandy open sunlit areas.  As the female digs, she kicks out soil that forms a semicircle around the burrow opening. She burrows six to ten inches into the ground, prepares a chamber, catches a cicada to fill the chamber, lays an egg on the cicada, and seals the chamber.  She may do this over a dozen times in one burrow.

Cicada-killer-Ronald-F.-Billings-Texas-Forest-Service-Bugwood.org_-300x200
Cicada killer – Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service, Bugwood.org

When a female finds a cicada, she paralyzes it with her stinger, straddles it, and attempts to fly with it to her burrow.  Because the cicada typically weighs more than she does, these flights are usually hops, with more dragging than gliding.

The egg hatches in a few days and the larva feeds on the paralyzed cicada until nothing is left but a shell. Then the wasp larva pupates within the burrow, remaining there until the next spring.

Males cannot sting; their only defense is intimidation.  They patrol the nesting area, trying to divert attention away from the female, allowing her to provision her nest with cicadas.  Meanwhile the male is using threatening tactics to distract potential predators. He may even dive bomb perceived threats.  Since the males do not have stingers, they are completely harmless.  They must rely on bluff, bluster, and bravado to protect their families.

Because cicada egg laying can be damaging to trees and shrubs, cicada killer wasps are very beneficial, providing free biological control.  However, homeowners who do not want these wasps around can modify their lawn to be unappealing.  A thick healthy turf with no bare spots will exclude cicada killer wasps. If turf is thin in nesting areas, identify turf problems that make the turf weak and correct them.

Cicada killer wasps will be active for only a few weeks and will be gone by mid-August in most of Georgia. If someone is bothered by these wasps, late July and early August would be a good time to take their vacation.

For more on cicada killer wasps, see these articles:

Giant wasps not after humans

Killer wasps swarm in August

Chikungunya Virus is Expected to Become Established in the U.S.

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Reprinted from Entomology Today – Read the entire article here.

Chikungunya cdc-aedes-albopictus2About six months ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a travel warning for people visiting islands in the Caribbean because chikungunya virus had been detected on the island of St. Martin. This was the first time it had been detected in the Americas.

Now, in addition to the islands, health authorities are preparing for the virus to infect people in the U.S. itself.

“It’s not a matter of if, but when,” Dr. James Crowe, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, recently said to USA Today.

According to the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), “it is virtually certain” that the virus will become established in the U.S. According to Paul Etkind, senior director for infectious diseases at NACCHO, “Local health departments should expect to see more of these cases as travel to the Caribbean for business and pleasure purposes increases over time. In addition, hundreds of thousands of soccer fans, many from the United States, are expected to travel to Brazil in July for the World Cup. The opportunities for introduction of the virus via infected fans returning from the games will be many.”

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Prevent White Grubs Now

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Will Hudson, UGA Extension Entomologist

White grub eggs and small larvae
White grub eggs and small larvae

June and July are excellent times to prevent white grubs in turf. White grubs live in the soil and feed on the roots of turf. Most white grubs have a one year life cycle in Georgia. Adult beetles lay eggs in late spring or early summer. The eggs hatch into grubs which feed and grow through the summer and fall, then dig down to spend the winter deep in the soil. They become active as the soil warms in the spring, and feed for a few days to a few weeks, depending on the species. They then turn into pupae before emerging as adult beetles to continue the cycle.

White grub larvae
White grub larvae

White grubs are the immature stage of Scarab beetles like green June beetles, Japanese beetles, chafers and others. The scarabs are a large family of beetles, and there are perhaps two dozen different species of white grub that might be found feeding on the roots of turf in Georgia. Included in this group are some of the most serious insect pests a turf manager will face.

White grubs damage turf by feeding on the roots during the summer and fall and, to a lesser extent, in the spring before pupation. Very dry conditions can reduce survival of both eggs and small grubs.

White grub injury on turf
White grub injury on turf

Symptoms of white grub damage are similar to other factors that damage the root system – disease, soil compaction, poor fertility, or drought. Except for the green June beetle, grubs never come to the surface until they become adults. The only way to tell if a lawn is infested is to dig the grubs up.

To scout for white grubs, cut 3 sides of a square of turf and lay the grass back like a carpet. Dig gently in the soil to a depth of 4 inches and count the grubs you see. It is important to identify the grubs before you treat. The potential for turf damage is dependent on the number and types of white grubs present. Your county agent can help identify grubs or see the publication White Grub Pests of Turfgrass on the CAES Entomology Department website.

It is easiest to find white grubs in early spring and late summer (late August) when they are larger and easy to see. That is not the best time to treat, however. Treatments are more effective if applied while grubs are small. In most of Georgia, this means application in June or July for best control. Once white grubs get bigger, there are fewer effective options and higher pesticide rates will be required. Good soil moisture and watering in the pesticide is also important for white grub control.

See White Grubs of Turfgrass for good information on control measures. Consult the Georgia Pest Management Handbook for current pesticide recommendations. Follow all label recommendations when using any pesticide.

UGA publication provides basic insecticide info for pest management professionals

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Pesticide Definitions taken from

Insecticide Basics for the Pest Management Professional

Dr. Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia Department of Entomology and

Dr. Michael E. Scharf, University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology

Pesticide application MSWordThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a pesticide as “any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest.” For the purpose of this bulletin, we subscribe to a more stringent definition of a pesticide as “any chemical or mixture of chemicals intended to destroy any pest.”

Active ingredient. The chemical substance(s) responsible for achieving a product’s desired effect.

Technical grade active ingredient. The chemical substance(s) (pesticide) in its pure, raw form (usually 95% to 100% active ingredient) prior to being formulated into a product.

Inert ingredient. Inert ingredients are biologically inactive (i.e., they typically have no pesticidal properties) chemicals that are mixed with active ingredients in order to produce an end-use, for-sale product. Some commonly used types of inert ingredients and their function include:

  • Emulsifiers. Allow petroleum-soluble (but water insoluble) active ingredients to evenly disperse in water.
  • Diluents and Carriers. Are meant to dilute the amount of active ingredient in a formulation and to carry it to its intended target. Often the same material serves as both diluent and carrier. For example, talc is an inert ingredient in many dust formulations. Only a small part of the dust formulation is insecticidal. The remainder is inert talc that not only dilutes the active ingredient but also serves to carry it to its intended target. In liquid spray formulations, water is both a diluent and carrier. In granular formulations, the inert granule on which the pesticide is absorbed is the carrier.
  • Stickers. Allow active ingredients to stick or adhere to the treated surface.
  • Wetting agents (e.g., spreaders, dispersants, penetrants). An inert chemical that is added to water to increase spreading and/or penetration by eliminating or reducing surface tension. For example, a drop of water will “bead” on wax paper, but when a spreader/dispersant is added the water droplet spreads evenly over the wax paper. Wetting agents are used in wettable powder formulations to allow the powder to evenly mix with water.

Solution. A liquid and all the chemicals that are dissolved in the liquid. For example, sugar or salt dissolve completely when placed in water to make a “sugar solution” or “salt solution”. In this example, water is called the solvent and the sugar/salt called the solute. When a chemical is soluble in a liquid, it forms a solution and cannot separate.Suspension. A liquid that contains solid particles that are not dissolved.  Over time, the solid particles will settle to the bottom of the container. Many liquid spray formulations (wettable powders, suspendable concentrates, and microencapsulates) are suspensions in water, and will settle to the bottom of the sprayer if not agitated. Suspensions should be shaken, or agitated, often to resuspend the product in the water.

Contact toxicants are chemicals that penetrate the target organism on contact. For example, liquid sprays are usually effective only after an insect crawls on the treated surface and contacts the residual deposit.

Oral toxicants are chemicals that act after having been ingested by the target organism. For example, bait products kill only after an insect consumes the bait containing the active ingredient.

Fumigants are chemical gasses. They act after an insect breathes them.

See the entire publication here!

 

 

What is this common problem of centipede lawns?

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Centipedegrass Decline

Alfredo Martinez, Extension Plant Pathologist and Clint Waltz, Extension Turfgrass Specialist
Adapted from original manuscript prepared by Drs. E.A. Brown, Retired UGA Extension Plant Pathologist and G. Landry, Retired UGA Extension Agronomist

Failure to green-up in the spring or successful green-up followed by decline and death in late spring and summer is a problem that can be encountered in centipedegrass-growing areas. Centipedegrass is subject to a condition called “centipedegrass decline.”

Many factors may contribute to this problem. It is important to be aware of these factors so that preventive and/or corrective steps can be taken. This problem can be prevented by proper management, which includes avoiding over-fertilization, preventing thatch accumulation, irrigating during drought stress (particularly in the fall), and maintaining a mowing height of 1 to 1.5 inches.

See the entire Centipedegrass Decline publication or read these sections:

Lawn and Garden Moisture Index

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Information taken from the Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast (CASE) newsletter.

Do things seem really dry where you are?  How much should you water your lawn or irrigate your crops?  There are a number of commercial products out there that can help you determine this, but one simple method that is available for free is the Lawn and Garden Moisture Index, a daily map put out by the Alabama State Climatologist based on estimated rainfall from radar.  This map tells you whether your lawn and garden have enough moisture or if more needs to be added.  This is one of a number of useful products available on AgroClimate.org, a website developed by the Southeast Climate Consortium, a group of eight universities around the Southeast.

lawn-garden-7-8-2014-235x300

This map shows the areas with surplus water in greens (no need to water or irrigate there) and areas with a water deficit in oranges and reds.  The darkest red areas are almost 2 inches short of water, including a large portion of Georgia.  If this situation continues, then the Drought Monitor is likely to add D0, abnormally dry conditions, to the next weekly Drought Monitor map.  Areas with deficits of an inch or more should be irrigated to help alleviate the dry conditions and keep lawns and gardens healthy.

How do we control this wood chewing pest?

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Info taken from the publication Biology and Management of Carpenter Ants by Dr Dan Suiter

Carpenter ants are so-called because of their habit of chewing wood to create nest sites. They do not eat wood, like termites, but they excavate it with their strong, saw-like jaws to create random galleries where they nest. Carpenter ants are also a nuisance because of their abundance and large size. Finding Nests Is Key to Eliminating Carpenter Ants

See more information in the publication including:

 

 

 

What is this weed and how do we control it?

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Lespedeza McCullough
Common lespedeza in a centipedegrass lawn. Photo by Patrick McCullough.

This weed is common lespedeza. To learn about is biology and control, see this publication by Patrick McCullough, UGA Extension Weed Specialist. This information is taken from his publication.

Common lespedeza (Kummerowia striata (Thunb.) Schind syn. Lespedeza striata) is a freely-branched summer annual legume that is a problem weed in lawns and other turf areas. Common lespedeza, also known as Japanese clover or annual lespedeza, has three smooth, oblong leaflets with parallel veins that are nearly perpendicular to the midvein

Common lespedeza woody stems in late summer. Photo by P. McCullough.
Common lespedeza woody stems in late summer. Photo by P. McCullough.

As common lespedeza matures, the stems harden and become woody, which is attributed to persistence and competition with turfgrasses in late summer

Flowers are pink to purple and present in the leaf axils. Other lespedeza species may also be found as weeds in turf but common lespedeza is the primary species in Georgia.

Leaf of common lespedeza. Photo by Patrick McCullough
Leaf of common lespedeza. Photo by Patrick McCullough

This publication gives information on

To see the entire publication click here.

Find other UGA publications here

Chikungunya Virus, Is Georgia at Risk?

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From the Georgia Mosquito Control Association newsletter – DIDEEBYCHA

In 2001, the CDC and the Pan American Health Organization jointly released a document entitled Preparedness and Response for Chikungunya Virus Introduction in the Americas.  In late 2013, Chikungunya was found for the first time on islands in the Caribbean, where it has persisted and continued to spread.

Chikungunya fever is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease caused by the Chikungunya virus. It is transmitted predominantly by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, the same species involved in the transmission of dengue.  Chikungunya is an RNA virus that belongs to the Alphavirus genus in the family Togaviridae. The name chikungunya derives from a word in Makonde and roughly means “that which bends,” describing the stooped appearance of persons suffering with the characteristic painful arthralgia.

Epidemics of fever, rash, and arthritis resembling CHIK were reported as early as the 1770s. However, the virus was not isolated from human serum and mosquitoes until an epidemic in Tanzania in 1952−1953.  Subsequent outbreaks occurred in Africa and Asia, many of them affecting small or rural communities.

In Asia in the 1960s, CHIKV strains were isolated during large urban outbreaks in Bangkok, Thailand.  These large outbreaks also occurred in Calcutta and Vellore, India, during the 1960s and 1970s.  After the initial identification of CHIKV, sporadic outbreaks continued to occur, but little activity was reported after the mid-1980s.  In 2004, however, an outbreak originating on the coast of Kenya subsequently spread to Comoros, La Réunion, and several other Indian Ocean islands in the following two years.

From the spring of 2004 to the summer of 2006, an estimated 500,000 cases had occurred. Since 2004, Chikungunya virus had been causing large epidemics of chikungunya fever, with considerable morbidity and suffering. The epidemics had crossed international borders and seas, and the virus had been introduced into at least 19 countries by travelers returning from affected areas.  Because the virus had been introduced into geographic locations where the appropriate vectors are endemic, it was thought likely that the disease would establish itself in new areas of Europe and the Americas.

What about Georgia?  There certainly is a risk of introduction and spread; there is no immunity and appropriate vectors and hosts exist here.  McTighe and Vaidyanathan (2012. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Vol. 12:867-871) tested the vector competency of Virginia and Georgia strains of Ae albopictus for CHIK virus and determined that they were all highly competent vectors of this virus. In their conclusions these last authors stated, “Only early and specific detection of human cases coordinated with vector control can reduce the risk of local transmission of CHIKV in the US.”

Chikungunya transmissionHuman Disease Symptoms:

  • High fever (103-104 F)
  • Rash
  • Severe incapacitating arthritis/arthralgia.

o   Generalized

o   Usually acute (several days to several weeks, though 20% of individuals have long-term joint complaints)

  • Hemorrhagic manifestations have been reported (rare)
  • Rarely if ever fatal – may cause encephalitis

These symptoms appear on average 4 to 7 days (but can range from 1 to 12 days) after being bitten by an infected Aedes mosquito.  Infected individuals develop a high titer viremia and can infect mosquitoes during this time period.

References

 

 

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