Insects

This week:  higher populations of

12 spot cucumber beetle
Alfalfa lopper
variegated cut worm

http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/vegnet-regional-pest-trends-week-august-24th-2015

Insect

VegNet Regional Pest Trends for the Week of August 17th, 2015

VegNet is an insect pest monitoring program funded by the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission and managed by the Oregon State University Department of Horticulture. To add your name to this newsletter, please click the ‘subscribe’ button on the homepage. For a review on how to interpret VegNet tables, click here.

• Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa Zea  - CEW) is higher than historical norms but has, over the past 2 weeks, dropped below the level of the outbreak of 2008 (FIG. 1). The pattern appears to be shifted, with peak flight occurring about 2 weeks earlier than the 15-yr average. The trend may be a consequence of a mild winter, earlier corn plantings, and/or warmer temperatures (FIG. 2). The highest activity we’ve seen has been localized around a few geographical locations. Please note: trap counts are not a direct estimate of larval activity, so field scouting is recommended if there is concern. More information on CEW can be found on the VegNet pest profile page.
• Other pests that were detected at higher-than-normal levels this week are: Black Cutworm (BCW), Spotted Cucumber Beetle (12S), and Alfalfa Looper (AL)

 

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FIG. 1 – Corn earworm activity of adult male moths so far this year (2015) compared to historical data (2008 and the 15-year average). There are 1-3 overlapping generations of CEW per season.

 

FIG. 2 – Differences between growing degree-days and precipitation from year to year can be estimated by an online modeling program hosted at www.uspest.org/wea. According to a generalized model for pest insects (lower threshold 41, upper 130), degree-day accumulation this year for the Corvallis region is about 13 days ahead of 2014.

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This week

Keep tree fruits watered.  Test fruit to be sure the fruit is
getting enough water and when sweet, pick.

To prevent blossom end rot on peppers and tomatoes for next year
 - water evenly, keep soil moist not wet.  Add lime (calcium) to the
 soil this fall for next year.

So far, the spotted wing drosophila population seems to be less
this year, so far.

Report - the brown mororated stink bug is in the south valley and
in large numbers.  Another critter to worry about getting into our crops.

Many lawns have become dormant and brown. This is an excellent way
 to slow down or rid the lawn of crane flies.  Just wait for the fall rains
or sprinkle the lawn a little to keep the roots health.

Be extremely careful with equipment that may cause fire.

Himrod and red flame grapes- very ripe.

Weekly update

Pears - good crop.
Apples - Gravenstein and Gala - ripe and being picked. 
Most apples coming on early.
Prunes - should be ripe next week.

Blackberries - very sweet but smaller than normal.
Blueberries - a few left to pick depending on variety.

Grapes - very ripe and may varieties ready or will be
ready soon.

Tomatoes and peppers - slow to ripen. Prone to leathery
ends or blossom end rot with wide temp and water changes.

Peppers and fruits

Peppers are turning up very thin skinned, sun burning,
 blossom end rotting, huge plants and small fruit; all due
 to the hotter than normal weather.

Grapes are ripening way ahead of normal.

Apple - ripening at least two weeks ahead of normal.
Gravenstein apple - done with harvest already.  Kind
of a poor crop set.

I've got red delicious apples dropping that shouldn't be
dropping - yet.  They are green with some red under
coloring.

Bartlett pears - any day now.

Italian prunes - suspect them to the ripe in one to
two weeks.

Weekly happenings

Some late strawberries and raspberries, but
not many left.
Blueberries - major picking done.  Some still
available.
Blackberries - still picking, good crop, small
berries due to lack of rain and moisture.

Early apples - picking.  Need some cooler evening
temps for good ripening.
Peaches - some still available.
Asian pears - picking.
Bartlett pears - any day now.  The green skin color
is turning yellow.

Lots of veggies available.

Skinner Butte, Eugene - 300 brown mormorated stink
bugs collect in an hour.  BMSB populations are building
in the south valley.

What's happening

Early apples - being picked.
Plum/prunes - turning purple.
Peaches - continue to be picked.
Not a lot of spotted wing drosophila reports
in the lower valley this year, so far.
Mid season apples - coloring with warm days and
cooler nights.
Blackberries - smaller size due to the very warm weather.
Walnut husk fly - SHOULD be out but no reports
of it being out yet.
Filbertworm - heavy emergence during the recent
hot weather.
Red flame grapes - turning color, but smaller in size,
even with watering.

Latest on insects

http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/vegnet-regional-pest-trends-week-july-27th-2015

Large numbers of:

black cutworm moths
corn earworm moths
Bertha armyworm months