Turf Insect Update David J. Shetlar, Ph.D. The “BugDoc” The Ohio State University, OARDC & OSU Extension Columbus, OH © October, 2002, D.J. Shetlar, all rights reserved

Turf Insect Update –  Information resources  Pest activity review  Life after FQPA??!!  Efficacy of New Insecticides

Bulletin L-187 – to be revised by January, 2003

Check OSU FactSheets - quarterly

BYGL OnLine – weekly update of Ohio nursery, landscape and turf pests

The P.E.S.T. Newsletter available from: Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH

Come visit the BugDoc at:

Shameless Advertisement! Destructive Turf Insects, 2 nd Edition available from: Lawn and Landscape Media Group 4012 Bridge Avenue Cleveland, OH (Lori Skala) Visit:

Turfgrass Insect Activity in 2002 White Grubs - generally patchy Billbugs - misdiagnosed again! Chinch Bugs - showed up late! Sod Webworms - real pests?

Grub Complex – Changing each year!

Masked Chafers – Definitely affected by drought conditions

Japanese Beetle – Patchy distribution, mainly quality turf

European Chafer & Oriental Beetle – In northern Ohio, but where else? European Chafer Raster Oriental Beetle Raster

Green June Beetle – Still common in southern counties

Black Turfgrass Ataenius – Still present, but damage covered up by Merit, MACH2 & reduced thatch?

Bluegrass Billbug – Still out there! Watch out! Mistaken for drought!

Billbug Diagnosis – Use the “tug test”

Billbug Damage – Major reason for dead turf in 2001 & Not sod webworms!

Chinch Bugs & Sod Webworms – Patchy damage Sod webworms did not damage lawns!

Is There Life After Dursban (and Diazinon) Cancellation? Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) continues to review insecticides and miticides. Organophosphates and Carbamates are major targets for restriction. Dursban NOT canceled, just restricted from residential use, still available for golf courses. Learn to use alternatives NOW!

Ranked Efficacy of White Grub Insecticides 1976 – 2001 a – rateaverange% of tests Insecticidelb.ai./a.% control# tests% controlbelow 70% Halofenozide (=MACH2) Imidacloprid (=Merit) Trichlorfon (=Dylox, Proxol) Carbaryl (=Sevin) Diazinon Chlorpyrifos (=Dursban) a Data from ESA publications ( ) using masked chafer and Japanese beetle data where label timing recommendations were used and at least 4.0 grubs per sq.ft. were found in checks.

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Japanese Beetle Annual Cycle Traditional Control Timing Preventive-Early Curative Timing

2000 Ohio Billbug Preventive Test Treatment% ControlRate 4.36 Diazinon 3.34G Talstar Fert 0.2G Talstar PL 0.2G Tempo 0.1G Diazinon 3.2G 95 appl - 16 May; Wooster, OH; read - 5July; 24.7 larvae/sq.ft. check

2001 Ohio Billbug Preventive Test Treatment% ControlRate 0.2 Talstar 0.147G Permethrin 0.25G Tempo 0.1G Diazinon 3.2G Talstar 0.086G 43 appl - 24 May (late preventive); Wooster, OH; read - 12July; 17.8 larvae/sq.ft. check 0.4 Merit 0.5G MACH2 1.5G 36

2001 Ohio Hairy Chinch Bug Control Treatment Merit 75WP Exp NN Tempo Ultra Talstar SC Exp NN Tempo 20WP Rate % Control appl. 30 Aug., Springboro, OH; & hcb/sq.ft. 7, & 14 DAT 7DAT14DAT

Turf Caterpillar Controls InsecticideRate % Control# Tests Organophosphates Diazinon Dursban Dylox/Proxol Orthene Carbamates Sevin Turcam

Turf Caterpillar Controls InsecticideRate % Control# Tests Pyrethroids Astro DeltaGard Scimitar Tempo Spinosyn Conserve

Turf Caterpillar Controls InsecticideRate % Control# Tests Chloronicotinoid Merit Molt Accelerator (growth regulator) MACH Nematodes S. carpocapsae1.0 bil89.67 H. bact.0.5 bil67.04