It’s beginning to feel like summer here in Henry County. Memorial Day is in the rear view mirror, school is out, and most of the crops are in the ground. As we march into the summer months now is the time to think about pests, both insects and weeds.
Similar to last growing season I have insect traps scattered around the county looking for agronomic insect pests. Currently, we trapping for Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs and will begin to trap Western Bean Cutworm (WBC) in the coming weeks. Stinkbugs are feeders of fruit and soybean crops and can cause damage that often goes unnoticed until harvest time. The more recent concern, especially for growers of non-GMO corn is the WBC, as the larvae migrate into the corn ear and cause both feeding damage and potential for mold diseases. Stay tuned to the CORN Newsletter for trap counts of these pests across the state.
A pest that is more of a concern to homeowners in the area bagworms. Last summer I had multiple calls and questions concerning these unique but highly destructive critters. Most often I find bagworm feeding to occur on evergreen species, such as arbor vitae. Pay close attention to other deciduous trees as well as bagworm have been found feeding on over 130 different species, according to Joe Boggs commercial horticulture specialist with OSU in Hamilton County.
This is also the time to be on the lookout for weeds in fields and surrounding landscapes. While I am seeing many of the usual suspects, including marestail, Canada thistle, milkweed; today I want to focus on two weeds that we need to keep in under control, or better yet eradicated the best we can. The first such weed is Palmer amaranth, a pigweed that is ultra-invasive due to the amount of seeds that a single female plant can produce. While to my knowledge there hasn’t been any Palmer found in the county, if you suspect that you have it growing on your property please let us know in order to develop a control strategy.
The second weed of concern is one that the further south you travel the more common it becomes, especially in road side ditches. Poison Hemlock is a noxious weed that is extremely toxic to livestock. It looks like wild carrot or “Queen Ann’s Lace”, however it can grow to be 6 to 10 feet tall. If found in a ditch bank or field, poison hemlock can be partially managed by mowing and tilling. The most effective control approach involves properly timed applications of post-emergent herbicides including glyphosate (e.g. Roundup). However, applications of herbicides must be made by now to have any chance of reducing seed production this year.
I’ll end this week with a quote from Albert Einstein “No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.” Have a great week.