The brown marmorated stink bug was found last week on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Nymphs of this exotic pest were feeding on yellow squash in our research plots in Painter, VA. As far as I know, this is the first documented occurrence of this pest on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Based on reports from New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and western counties of Virginia, this insect can be quite damaging to numerous crops, and population densities can build up to extreme levels. Crops that can be particularly hard hit include tree fruit, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, and from what I saw, cucurbits as well. In the fall, this stink bug will also aggregate on and in building structures similar to the Asian multicolored lady beetle. Click more to view an image of this pest. Additional information: brownmarmoratedstinkbug-01-jpg
Author Archives: Thomas Kuhar
Eastern Shore Insect Pest Activity for Week ending Aug 26
Click More to view the insect trap counts for various locations on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Current counts as well as those from previous weeks are included. In summary corn earworm moth activity remains high in Eastville and Melf according to pheromone trap catches of approximately 50 moths per week. Beet armyworm moth activity is also peaking especially in Eastville.
Concomitant to this moth activity, we have been experiencing these pest larvae in multiple crops including soybeans, green beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Growers and crop consultants should still carefully monitor crops for these pests even if they have been sprayed previously.
Additional information: es-insect-trap-counts-8-24-10-5-xls
Eastern Shore Insect Pest Activity for Week ending Aug 26
Click More to view the insect trap counts for various locations on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Current counts as well as those from previous weeks are included. In summary corn earworm moth activity remains high in Eastville and Melf according to pheromone trap catches of approximately 50 moths per week. Beet armyworm moth activity is also peaking especially in Eastville.
Concomitant to this moth activity, we have been experiencing these pest larvae in multiple crops including soybeans, green beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Growers and crop consultants should still carefully monitor crops for these pests even if they have been sprayed previously.
Additional information: es-insect-trap-counts-8-24-10-5-xls
Worms Continue to be a Threat on the Eastern Shore
Heavy worm pressure is still being seen across the Eastern Shore. One field of sweet corn was assayed for baythroid resistant corn ear worms after showing 90% damage. This was after one spraying of Coragen followed by six additional treatments of baythroid. The results of the bioassay showed none of the worms were baythroid resistant. Only severe worm pressure would seem to be the cause. Corn ear worm and beet armyworm flights remain high especially in the Birdsnest/Machipongo area. Beet armyworms can also be found frequenting pigweed and lambsquarter around the edges of fields. Young corn on the station has been heavily damaged by fall armyworms and a few adults have appeared in the trap on station possibly presaging another flight of these destructive pests. Additional information: es-insect-trap-counts-7-30-10-8-18-10-xls
Bayer Agrees to Terminate All Uses of Temik insecticide (Aldicarb)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Bayer CropScience, the manufacturer, have reached an agreement to end use of the pesticide aldicarb in the United States. A new risk assessment conducted by EPA based on recently submitted toxicity data indicates that aldicarb, an N-methyl carbamate insecticide, no longer meets the agency’s rigorous food safety standards and may pose unacceptable dietary risks, especially to infants and young children.
To address the most significant risks, Bayer has agreed first to end aldicarb use on citrus and potatoes and will adopt risk mitigation measures for other uses to protect groundwater resources. New measures to protect shallow drinking water wells in vulnerable areas of the southeastern U.S. coastal plain and lower application rates will be immediately added to product labels for use on cotton, soybeans, and peanuts.
The company will voluntarily phase out production of aldicarb by December 31, 2014. All remaining aldicarb uses will end no later than August 2018. Additionally, EPA plans to revoke the tolerances (legal pesticide residues allowed in food) associated with these commodities. EPA did this to ensure we have the safest food supply possible.
Based upon current toxicological studies, aldicarb at levels higher than those typically found in food has the potential to cause various effects such as sweating, nausea, dizziness and blurred vision, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Aldicarb is registered for use as a systemic insecticide and nematicide on agricultural crops, and is formulated and marketed solely as a granular pesticide under the trade name Temik. During the phase-out, the pesticide will continue to be registered for use on cotton, dry beans, peanuts, soybeans, sugar beets, and sweet potatoes. Aldicarb products are not intended for sale to homeowners or for use in residential settings. A restricted use pesticide, aldicarb may be applied only by trained, certified pesticide applicators.
The memorandum of agreement and the agency’s updated dietary risk assessment and supporting materials will be available in the aldicarb reregistration docket, EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0163, and in the aldicarb Special Review docket, EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0197, at regulations.gov.
The U.S. has a safe and abundant food supply, and children and others should continue to eat a variety of foods, as recommended by the federal government and nutritional experts.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/aldicarb_fs.html
Worm Pressure Increasing on the Eastern Shore
Corn earworm still seems to be the pest to watch right now. Numbers seem to be high to the south of us and increasing on the Shore. Continue to monitor fields for theshold numbers before spraying as worm pressure is heavy in some locations and low in others. Fall army worm pressure on the station seems to be dropping, although some small worms were seen, possibly indicating the beginning of a second generation. Beet army worm flights continue to be high in the traps, but few worms have been seen in the field. Trap numbers seem to be skewed possibly due high thunderstorm activity during the evenings keeping flight counts low. See attached Additional information: es-insect-trap-counts-7-30-10-8-11-10-2-xls
Insect pest activity in soybeans on the Eastern Shore
Many full-season soybean crops on the Eastern Shore of Virginia were sprayed for insect pests this week. In many cases, these sprays were needed as pest numbers of spider mites, corn earworms, green cloverworms and other caterpillar pests were high. In the fields that I insected, I saw a lot of green cloverworm, corn earworm, yellowstriped armyworm, and some beet armyworms. I did not see soybean loopers, which often are hard to kill. Beet armyworms have also shown resistance to pyrethroids in past trials on the Eastern Shore. A number of different insecticides were applied. Some growers sprayed Steward to combat the complex of caterpillars; whereas some others sprayed Orthene and a pyrethroid such as Warrior to combat the mix of pests. Other growers sprayed a generic Lorsban 4E, which provided efficacy against the spider mites as well as the caterpillar pests including beet armyworms. Let’s hope our growers do not have to spray again, as these sprays were applied early in the crop, and we’ve still probably yet to see the major flight of corn earworms that attack the pods.
Eastern Shore insect trap catches for Week ending Aug 6
Click More to receive the insect trap catches for the Eastern shore of Virginia for the week ending August 6. In summary, we are seeing an increase in trap catch of corn earworm and beet armyworm moths at most locations. Green stink bug catch also increased in black light traps. Additional information: es-insect-trap-counts-7-30-10-8-6-10-xls
EPA Federal Register on Cancellation of Pencap-M insecticide
Pesticide Federal Register Items for the Week of July 12-16, 2010
>
>Methyl Parathion: Cancellation Order for Certain Pesticide
>Registrations Date of publication: July 16, 2010
>Citation: Volume 75, Number 136, Page 41482-41483
>http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-17404.htm
>Purpose: This notice announces EPA’s order for the cancellations,
>voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of
>products containing methyl parathion, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of
>the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as
>amended. This cancellation order follows an April 28, 2010 Federal
>Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in
>Table 2 of Unit II. to voluntarily cancel all these product
>registrations. These are the last products containing this pesticide
>registered for use in the United States. In the April 28, 2010 notice,
>EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the
>cancellations, unless the Agency received substantive comments within
>the 30 day comment period that would merit its further review of these
>requests, or unless the registrants withdrew their requests. The
>Agency received comments on the notice but none merited its further
>review of the requests. Further, the registrants did not withdraw
>their requests. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a
>cancellation order granting the requested cancellations. Any
>distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation
>order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order,
>including any existing stocks provisions.
>Chemical(s): Methyl Parathion**
>Comments: EPA has established a docket for this action under docket
>identification number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0332. The cancellations are
>effective July 16, 2010.
>Contact: Kelly Ballard, Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P),
>Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone number: (703) 305-8126; fax
>number: (703) 305-5290; e-mail address: ballard.kelly@epa.gov.
>
>
>Methyl Parathion; Registration Review Proposed Decision; Notice of
>Availability Date of publication: July 16, 2010
>Citation: Volume 75, Number 136, Page 41484-41485
>http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-17403.htm
>Purpose: This notice announces the availability of EPA’s proposed
>registration review decision for the pesticide methyl parathion and
>opens a public comment period on the proposed decision.
>Registration review is EPA’s periodic review of pesticide registrations
>to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory
>standard for registration, that is, that the pesticide can perform its
>intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health
>or the environment. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each
>pesticide’s registration is based on current scientific and other
>knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment.
>Chemical(s): Methyl Parathion
>Comments: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
>number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0332. Comments must be received on or before
>September 14, 2010.
>Contact: Kelly Ballard, Chemical Review Manager, Pesticide
>Re-evaluation Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone
>number: (703) 305-8126; fax number: (703) 305-5290; e-mail address:
>ballard.kelly@epa.gov.
>
>Mailing address for all listed staff: Office of Pesticide Programs,
>Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW,
>Washington, DC 20460
Eastern Shore Insect Trap Counts for Week ending July 29
This week the corn ear worm flight seems to have spread throughout both counties with all trap locations showing increased activity. This week also showed a jump in beet armyworm catches at both the Eastville and Painter locations while cornborer activity has shown a significant decrease. Click more to view a spreadsheet of pheromone trap catch and blacklight trap catch from various locations on the Eastern Shore. Additional information: es-insect-trap-counts-7-16-10-7-23-10-5-xls