No. 14/August 13, 2012
White Grubs
Be alert for white grub damage over the next couple of months. Damage will appear as wilting, browning turf that is easily pulled back due to the grubs eating off the roots. Although damage is most likely in untreated, irrigated turf, every year there are cases of damage in non-irrigated turf.
Zimmerman Pine Moth
This is the time of year to spray the trunks and major branches with bifenthrin (Onyx), cyfluthrin (Tempo), permethrin (Astro), or other labeled insecticide to control Zimmerman pine moth. The moths have been laying eggs in the southern two-thirds of Illinois and are about to emerge in northern Illinois.
Neonicotinoids and Bee Reduction
There is worldwide concern about the loss of pollinators during the last few years. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in honey bees has been present since at least 2006 in which large numbers of bees abandoned their hives. There has been a large decline in bumble bees noticed in California and elsewhere with a possibility of the extinction of one or more species.
Bur Oak Blight
The U of I Plant Cinic confirmed its first sample of Bur Oak Blight (BOB). The infected tree is located in Lake County, IL. Bur Oak Blight is a fungal disease caused by a newly described pathogen, Tubakia iownesis. Several species of Tubakia are known to infect Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), however, T. iowensis is the only species known to cause severe leaf blight.