No. 17/October 22, 2013

Last Issue for 2013
This is the seventeenth and last issue of the Home, Yard, and Garden Pest Newsletter for 2013. Included is an index of this year's topics. We anticipate resuming publication in April 2014. Thanks for your interest and reports of pest situations that help us be more relevant to your situation.

New Pest Management Guide in 2014
A new revision of the Illinois Commercial Landscape and Turfgrass Pest Management Handbook will be available in 2014. We are currently on target for publication in January 2014. The last edition was in 2010, so it will be contain new insect pests, diseases, and weeds of trees, shrubs, turf, and flowers. Pesticide recommendations are updated to reflect current commercially available materials.

White Grubs
The drought of 2012 and reduced irrigation of turf during that time greatly reduced the emergence of Japanese beetle adults and production of associated grubs this year. Masked chafers are influenced less by dry weather, and their grubs are present, generally in relatively low numbers.

They're Back ... First Detector Workshops Scheduled for 2014
As promised, we have news on the upcoming 2014 First Detector Workshops. Dates have been officially set, and plans are taking place to make this second installment of the Illinois First Detector Workshops a success.

Fall is Officially Here When the Stink Bugs Start to Appear
Over the past couple of weeks, I've received several reports of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) being found in or near homes. It's a sure sign that the seasons are changing and these home invaders are searching for their winter vacation spots.

Water Now to Help Prevent Winter Burn to Evergreen Trees and Shrubs
In the May 13th issue of the newsletter I wrote about winter burn, a form of winter injury that commonly affects broadleaved evergreens such as rhododendrons and boxwoods. This type of injury can also affect narrow leaved evergreens such as yew, arborvitae and hemlock. It is more severe on drought stressed plants. Last year's drought and dry start to the winter likely contributed to the symptoms of winter burn and even the death of many evergreens in our area.

Index 2013
An index to the pests and other topics addressed in the 2013 issues of the Home, Yard, and Garden Pest Newsletter is provided.