Issue 3, May 7, 2010

Scouting Watch

Black vine weevil will be present as adults in southern Illinois and susceptible to insecticidal control. Spray the yew foliage heavily, allowing much to run off onto the ground under the shrubs where the adults spend the day.

European pine shoot moth is susceptible to control in southern Illinois. Treatment of the shoots is usually sufficient to obtain control.

Woolly apple aphid, an insect that was very numerous in Illinois last year, is also susceptible to control in southern Illinois.

Viburnum crown borer is susceptible to control in central and northern Illinois. Spray the foliage and base of the plant heavily, allowing movement of the insecticide into the crown of the plant where the borers are most numerous. This insect is most common on the Viburnum opulus compacta.

Euonymus caterpillar will be actively spinning silk tents on the foliage of Euonymus europaea. Euonymus alatus is listed as a host in the literature, but has not been found feeding on this species in Illinois. This caterpillar is found in northern Illinois as far south as Kankakee. It is whitish with black spots.

Bronze birch borer is still susceptible to control with systemic insecticides such as dinotefuran (Safari) and imidacloprid (Merit, Xytect, Imicide, Pointer). Although egg-laying may have ended, these systemic insecticides should still provide control of the young larvae in the cambium.--Phil Nixon

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