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Summer Insect Alertby Harrell's

Blog, Golf July 1, 2010 8:46 am

by Rick Brandenburg, Professor of Entomology, NC State University

Cutworms

Cutworms are active on golf course putting greens. These infestations can continue until Thanksgiving, so be vigilant in monitoring for their presence. Most other turfgrass settings (golf course fairways, home lawns, athletic fields, etc) can tolerate the typical abundance of cutworms that we observe on putting greens.

Black cutworm Black cutworm moth

Bronze cutworm Cutworm moth

For more information, please see the NC State Turf Files page on cutworms: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Insects/Cutworms.aspx

Fire Ants

Fire ants have also become quite active and baits will work quite well in the spring when workers are actively foraging. Be sure and use fresh bait and carefully follow label directions. Take the time to understand the product and that most baits take several weeks or more than a month to be fully effective.

Fire ant mound

For more information, please see the NC State Turf Files page on fire ants: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Insects/Fire_Ants.aspx

Mole Crickets

Mole crickets are active in coastal areas and have begun their mating flights. Egg laying has taken place in May and egg hatch in late May and throughout June. You have probably noticed increased mole cricket damage over the past few weeks.

The large size, big appetite, and high mobility of these pests make springtime damage extremely unsightly. Damage this time of the year appears as tunnels on the surface and large holes, which are calling chambers produced by the males. Calling chambers essentially act as megaphones to amplify the call of the males in order attract females for mating.

Over the next few weeks, the female adults will participate in nightly flights in order to locate males, mate, and the lay eggs. Although spring adult mole cricket damage may be unacceptable for you, it is recommended that you wait to take any large-scale remedial action since the adults will experience natural mortality shortly after mating. If you do choose to treat at this time, any insecticide applications that you make now should only be focused on high priority areas, and should not be applied on a widespread basis. It is more appropriate to wait until the new generation of crickets has hatched from the eggs that the adults are now laying. Small newly hatched nymphs are more easily controlled with insecticides and timing your control measures to coincide with the presence of small cricket minimizes your chances of having late season damage. Control of adults will also not be very effective at this time, so you can save yourself time and money by targeting the new generation in late June or early July.

Mole cricket eggs Young adult mole cricket Mole cricket with eggs

For more information, please see the NC State Turf Files page on mole crickets: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Insects/mole_crickets.aspx