Agriculture & Natural Resources

Conversion Tables, Formulas, and Suggested Guidelines for Horticultural Use 

Stinging and Biting Pests

This publication contains descriptions and images, as well as methods of control, for common stinging and biting pests found in Georgia, including: bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants, scorpions, caterpillars, spiders, chiggers and flies.
extension.uga.edu

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C782&title=stinging-and-biting-pests

Caterpillars Invade Lawns and Pastures

Written by:  Philip Hensley

August 7^th, 2024

Residents in Spalding County have begun to report high numbers of caterpillars crawling across driveways, patios ,and garden plants. But the real concern will likely be how many are chomping away in your lawns, pastures, and hay fields. These invaders, commonly called fall armyworms, are considered sporadic pests because they come every year, but occasionally arrive by the thousands, devouring many different types of grasses as they go. Infestations sometimes resemble an army as they move across large areas. In high concentrations, fall armyworms can devour an area the size of a football field in the course of 2-3 days.

The native range of the fall armyworm extends from central Florida to Argentina. The adult moths cannot overwinter or survive year-round in our area. Each year, storms bring the adult moths north via wind currents. They also are strong flyers, capable of flying over 50 miles before laying their eggs. Almost any vertical structure can be used for egg laying by the female moths, and those egg masses may contain several hundred eggs each.

Larvae tend to conceal themselves during the brightest time of the day. This means they are most active at dawn, dusk, and late afternoon, but can be seen feeding on foliage all day in tall, unmowed grass. They are nocturnal and prefer warm, humid nights. They feed in the caterpillar stage for 12-14 days, then pupate into adults, and the life cycle repeats. The moths gain a foothold each summer in South Georgia, with each new generation marching northward through the state, traveling on weather fronts and storms.

An early sign that armyworms are nearby might be unusually large gatherings of birds on your lawn or pasture. A closer inspection might reveal several caterpillars munching on the blades of grass. Although birds will eat armyworm caterpillars, there are just too many to expect them to consume them all.

But how do you know if they are in your backyard? Using a soap flush can be an easy way to determine if they are present and how many there are. One ounce of dish detergent mixed with one gallon of water can be poured over a one square yard area will irritate the caterpillars and bring them to the surface. Apply this solution to any area where you suspect armyworm damage may be occurring.

In pastures and lawns, finding three to five caterpillars per square foot is a threshold to start treating for fall armyworms. Carbaryl (Sevin), pyrethroids (products that end with “-thrin” in the active ingredient), spinosad and insect growth regulators (Intrepid and Dimilin) are the most common treatment options. Organic products that contain the bacteria known as “Bt” (Bacillus thuringiensis) are effective only on young (a half-inch or smaller) worms. Prevathon is a newer product labeled for pastures that provides longer residual control. The larger the worms get, the harder they are to control.

Mowing and irrigating lawns before treating will help move the caterpillars out of the thatch layer. Apply products in the morning or early evening, when the caterpillars are likely feeding higher on the grass blades. If hay is nearly ready for harvest, cut it before applying any products. Spray coverage will be much more uniform with shorter grass than with taller grass.

Pesticide applications are not always necessary. If we apply the wrong products to the wrong organism, at the wrong time, and at improper amounts, we can end up causing a worse problem than what we were dealing with initially. Always follow the instructions and read the labels of any product you choose to apply. When in doubt, contact your local Cooperative Extension office for a more specific recommendation for your situation.

Philip Hensley is the Extension Coordinator and Agricultural & Natural Resources Agent for Spalding County Cooperative Extension, a partnership of The University of Georgia, The U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Spalding County.

^{Georgia Agriculture Sales Tax Exemption Program (GATE)}

Georgia Agriculture Sales Tax Exemption Program (GATE)
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is implementing a sales tax program for agricultural producers. Producer must submit an application and payment to become part of the program. More information is available at the GATE website.

Pesticide Applicator Licensing

The University of Georgia facilitates licensing for the Georgia Private Pesticide Applicator License. The testing for this license is online and there is a $25 fee for this test. For more information on receiving this license, please visit the UGA Extension Pesticide Safety Education webpage.

Grow A Garden From Scratch

Click below for information

https://cultivate.caes.uga.edu/starting-a-garden-from-scratch/index.html?utm_source=CAES+Newswire&utm_campaign=2676c8160d-Newswire_Non_Media_Weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4cb3048305-2676c8160d-35725417

Georgia's Brood XIX is here: 

Periodical cicadas make their mark on the Southeast
There is no doubt about it: the periodical cicadas have arrived. “Brood XIX (Brood 19) is Georgia’s only 13-year cicada. The Great Southern Brood is the largest periodical cicada brood in North America, covering at least a dozen states in the Southeast,” said Nancy Hinkle, professor in the University of Georgia Department of Entomology. “This year, millions of periodical cicadas are emerging in Georgia from now until Memorial Day.”
newswire.caes.uga.edu
 

https://newswire.caes.uga.edu/story/10419/2024-cicada-emergence.html

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Georgia
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 2, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial, backyard flock (non-poultry) in Toombs County, Georgia.

Samples from the flock were tested at the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network (GPLN), part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

APHIS is working closely with state animal health officials in Georgia on a joint incident response. State officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the property were depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the public health risk associated with these avian influenza detections in birds remains low. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

For more information click here