Whitefly Populations Vary in South Florida

Web AdminFlorida, Pests

Whitefly populations vary in areas across South Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Watermelon fields in central Florida are experiencing low to moderate numbers. Moderate levels were also reported in squash. In tomato, reports indicate whiteflies are at three or less per plants, while others showed populations increasing to high levels over the previous week. Populations …

Warm Temps, Dry Conditions Help Whitefly Numbers Increase

Web AdminGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The inevitable has finally happened in the Southeast; whitefly populations are on the rise. It was bound to happen considering the prolonged hot and dry weather conditions being experienced across the region. “I think it’s still probably localized, but yeah, there are some fields, if you start getting squash coming up, it just pulls them in like …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

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Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet Corn Pest ManagementJanuary 1, 2026Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundNovember …

Whitefly Populations Remain Low

Web AdminGeorgia, Pests

By Clint Thompson Whitefly populations remain low across the Southeast. Fall vegetable growers have the Christmas freeze event last December to thank for that, believes Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist. “I think that’s a lot of it. We’ve had some wet weather, too, but I think that’s a lot of it. It knocked them way back. …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Web AdminSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide Tom Bilbo – Extension Entomologist Midlands Rob Last Upstate Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet Corn Pest ManagementJanuary 1, …

UGA Entomologist: Insect Pressure is Light

Web AdminPests

By Clint Thompson Insect pests are currently not a problem for specialty crop producers. That’s good news for growers trying to navigate vegetable production in South Georgia, North Florida and South Alabama. And that was before last week’s heavy rain events that flooded parts of the Southeast region. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist, discussed what producers …

Beneficial Insect: Green Lacewing Key Management for Aphid Control

Web AdminAlabama

Clint Thompson Sometimes the best management strategy for a producer hoping to control an insect is to release its predator. That is a tactic commercially available to specialty crop growers, according to Ayanava Majumdar, an Alabama Extension entomologist. Majumdar spoke about beneficial insects and how farmers can release them to control certain insect pests during a recent webinar. One of …

Alabama Extension Agent: Thrips Are Out of Control

Web AdminAlabama

By Clint Thompson Thrips pressure is high in southern Alabama. Vegetable producers should be ready to combat the high populations with insecticide applications. Fortunately, for the region’s farmers, insecticides are available, says Jacob Kelley, Alabama regional Extension agent. “With this warm weather, thrips are out of control. The last two weeks, the calls about thrips have gone up substantially, and …

Whitefly Numbers Low Across South Georgia

Web AdminGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Now should be the normal time that vegetable growers would be observing whiteflies across the Southeast region. So far, knock on wood, that hasn’t been the case. Population numbers remain low, according to Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist “Normally, under these type of conditions, we start watching whiteflies a lot closer. But …

Whitefly Pressure High Across South Florida

Web AdminFlorida

Whitefly pressure remains high across South Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. High populations are reported on all crops in southwest Florida, though recent rainfall in some parts might help reduced levels. Jawad Qureshi, entomologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, also reports high …