Two-spotted spider mites are a major issue in Florida strawberries. Justin Renkema, former assistant professor at the University of Florida (UF), says mites make their way into Florida fields by blowing in from neighboring fields, but they may also be coming on strawberry transplants from nurseries. After proving that spider mites were coming to Florida on transplants, Renkema wanted to …
Managing Spider Mites in Florida Strawberries
As two-spotted spider mites continue to be a serious issue in Florida strawberry fields, Justin Renkema, former assistant professor at the University of Florida, has been working with his colleagues to figure out where these spider mites come from and how best to manage them. He has conducted spider mite research over the past two strawberry seasons. Renkema presented his …
Plum Curculio Management in Peaches
By Breanna Kendrick Cory Penca, an entomology Ph.D. candidate and a student in the Doctor of Plant Medicine program at the University of Florida, gave a presentation at the recent Stone Fruit Field Day on managing key pests of peaches in Florida. Plum curculio was one of several pests he discussed. Plum curculio is a type of weevil that doesn’t …
Squish Squash Bugs in Your Production System
Squash bugs can be tricky to find and even more of a struggle to kill. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, says he has gotten several calls from producers about squash bug infestations. According to Majumdar, there are no easy solutions to squash bug infestations, which is why this pest continues to be a major issue …
Managing Stink Bugs on Peaches
By Breanna Kendrick At the recent Stone Fruit Field Day, Cory Penca gave a presentation on managing key pests of peaches in Florida. Penca is an entomology Ph.D. candidate and a student in the Doctor of Plant Medicine program at the University of Florida. His presentation covered stink bugs, Caribbean fruit flies, plum curculio and mites. Penca’s pest management practices …
Peach Fruit Fly Pest Alert for Florida
A male peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Tephritidae), was captured in a fruit fly detection trap on 9 May 2018 in Lake Worth (Palm Beach County). A second male was captured about 1.25 miles away, also in Lake Worth on 10 May 2018. This is only the second time that this pest species has been found in Florida. A …
Be Aware of Blueberry Gall Midge
Recently, the Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) sent out a release saying gall midge was the cause of severe crop loss within the Florida blueberry industry. Since the announcement, Oscar Liburd, an entomologist with the University of Florida, has written a report for Florida blueberry growers, describing the plant symptoms and management recommendations. The FBGA believes gall midge is an …
Irrigation Influences Pest Management
Water is one of the most critical issues in the modern agricultural world. “We need to conserve water,” says Ayanava Majumdar, an Extension entomologist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Majumdar has been looking at how irrigation can impact pest management. “Irrigation is related to plant health, which is related to … pests and how well your plants resist those …
Vegetable Pest Problems
David Riley, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia, says that two pests have been big issues for Southeastern vegetable growers: diamondback moth (DBM) and whitefly. DIAMONDBACK MOTH DBM continues to be a struggle for Southeastern vegetable growers, mostly due to insecticide resistance. Riley says that DBM resistance in cabbage and collards is a long-standing problem. “Diamondback moth …
Using Plants to Fend Off Pests
Trap-cropping is an organic method to combat pests that has been tested with several different crops in Alabama. Ayanava Majumdar, an Extension entomologist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, has recently been testing different trap crops in yellow squash. Last year, he studied sorghum and sunflower to combat leaffooted bugs and stink bugs in vegetable systems. This year, he is …