– Bill Cissel, Extension Agent – Integrated Pest Management; bcissel@udel.edu
Congratulations to Kathleen Heldreth for accurately identifying the insect in Guess the Pest Week #16 as a lady beetle larva. Kathleen will not only have her name entered into the end of season raffle for $100 gift card not once but five times, she will also receive a FREE copy of A Farmer’s Guide to Corn Diseases. Click on the Guess the Pest logo below to participate in this week’s Guess the Pest! Guessing correctly will automatically enter you into a raffle for $100 gift card at the end of the season and one lucky winner will also be selected to have their name entered into the raffle five times. For Guess the Pest # 17, we will also be giving away A Farmer’s Guide To Corn Diseases ($29.95 value) to one lucky participant.
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/book/cornfarmersguide/
Guess the Pest Week #16 Answer:
Lady Beetle Larva
Lady beetles, sometimes referred to as ladybugs or ladybird beetles are ferocious predators and play an important role in reducing pest populations in many crops. Both the adult and larval stage prey on insect pests and are considered one of the “good guys”. They are especially fond of aphids and a single beetle has been reported to consume as many as 5,000 aphids during its lifetime. Finding a lot of lady beetles in your crop is a good indication that you have an aphid infestation, but don’t be too alarmed. Lady beetles will often keep the population in check. For example, in small grains, one lady beetle (adult or larva) per 50-100 aphids is often sufficient to achieve biological control.
Guess the Pest Week #17
What is this disease?
To submit your guess click the Guess the Pest logo below or go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUPYLZnTRsol46hXmgqj8fvt5f8-JI0eEUHb3QJaNDLG_4kg/viewform?c=0&w=1
