David Owens, Extension Entomologist; owensd@udel.edu
Sweet Corn
Trap captures are mostly steady this week compared to last week. Most sites should stay on a 3-day spray schedule. If temperatures exceed 82, tighten up spray intervals one day. Trap captures from Thursday are as follows:
| Location | Blacklight Trap | Pheromone Trap |
| Dover | 10 | 51 |
| Wyoming | 21 | 25 |
| Magnolia | 22 | 31 |
| Milford | 20 | 12 |
| Harrington | 5 | 15 |
| Woodenhawk | 24 | 19 |
| Bridgeville | — | 31 |
| Concord | 19 | 2 |
| Georgetown | 5 | 7 |
| Laurel | 52 | 9 |
| Delmar | 11 |
Pumpkins
Continue scouting undersides of leaves for aphids, and scout for Lepidopteran rind worms and cucumber beetles that may scar rinds. At this point in the season, the greatest threat from aphids is probably from honeydew and sooty mold on the fruit.
Spinach
Hawaiian beet webworm populations are much greater this year than last year, although they do not seem to be as great as 2023. Pyrethroids should not be relied upon for this species. Beet armyworm is also very active this year and are resistant to pyrethroids and may not achieve consistent control with Coragen or Besiege.
Cole Crops
All cole crop pests are active. Harlequin bug, cabbage aphid, green peach aphid, whitefly, and the worm complex, including diamondback moth, beet armyworm, corn earworm, yellow striped armyworm, imported cabbageworm, and cross striped worm. Of all of these, imported cabbageworm are the easiest to control. If a field has aphids, whiteflies, and worms, Exirel may be a good fit. Torac may also be a decent fit but is not as strong on worms. If harlequin bugs are also present, a neonic like Actara, Assail, or Scorpion would be better for the sucking bugs. There is also a premix product, Voliam Flexi, that includes thiamethoxam and chlorantraniliprole for broad spectrum control. If a field has beet armyworm in it, conduct follow up scouting about 4 days after a diamide has been used to verify control.
Tomatoes
Late tomatoes should continue receiving worm protective sprays. You can verify the presence of worms and identify what species by shaking plants over a beat sheet.
Snap beans and lima beans
Continue scouting for stink bugs in lima beans. Remember, pods greater than 1 inch long are safe from tarnished plant bug. Soybean looper appear to be active this year, and we still have significant earworm activity. Snap beans should continue to be protected from flowering to harvest. Theoretically, a well-timed application of a diamide insecticide between flower and pin pod should have long enough residual to prevent corn earworm damage.