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Armyworms are now in occasional fields of oats, wheat, rye and grasses 

 in some areas of northern Illinois. They are in fields with the most luxuriant 

 growth and may be found in greatest numbers in spots of lodged grain. Be sure to 

 get an average count that represents the field, not just a small spot in the field. 

 Carefully examine the plants, the debris on the soil and the soil crevices. You 

 should find six or more worms per linear foot of drill row to justify the expense 

 of treating. If there are fewer than six per linear foot, treatment is warranted 

 only if the worms are cutting off the heads of wheat. 



If insecticides are needed, apply dieldrin, l/8 to l/k pound per acre, 

 or toxaphene, 1 l/2 pounds per acre. Allow one week to elapse between treatment 

 and harvest of the grain for wheat and rye, but allow ik days when toxaphene is 

 used on barley. Do not use the straw for livestock feed. 



For grass pastures and hay crops, use carbaryl (Sevin), 1 l/2 pounds per 

 acre, or methoxychlor , two pounds per acre. Methoxychlor does not kill the army- 

 worms, but it does prevent further feeding. Allow seven days between treatment and 

 harvest or pasturing by livestock when methoxychlor is used. 



Do not contaminate fish-bearing waters with toxaphene or dieldrin. Avoid 

 drift of toxaphene or dieldrin onto pasture or hay used for dairy cattle or animals 

 fattening for slaughter. Toxaphene is preferable to dieldrin for use in such cases. 



Armyworm adults are brown, heavy-bodied moths that are attracted to lights. 

 Soon they will be flying northward in great numbers. In three or four weeks they 

 may deposit eggs in northern Illinois in cornfields with heavy growths of grassy 

 weeds, in roadsides and in fields of heavy grass stands, as reserve acres. 



Clover root curculio have been injuring soybeans that followed clover 

 plow-down. These small gray to light brown snout beetles eat ere scent- shaped 

 notches in the leaves and gouge holes in the stem above ground as well as below. 

 They feed mostly at night and are difficult to find during the day. To control 

 curculio on soybeans, apply 1 l/2 pounds of DDT per acre. Apply only if plant loss 

 is apparently going to be severe. 



Potato leafhoppers are tiny green, wedge-shaped insects that suck sap 

 from alfalfa plants. Second-growth alfalfa is commonly affected, causing it to 

 turn yellow to purple and appear stunted; this damage lowers both the quality and 

 the quantity of the hay. Populations are highest north of a line from St. Louis 

 to Paris. Observe fields carefully when the new growth is k to 6 inches high. If 

 this pest is abundant, apply 1 pound of methoxychlor or carbaryl. Allow one week 

 to elapse between application of methoxychlor and harvest or pasturing. There is 

 no waiting period when using carbaryl. 



Barn fly control programs should be started this week. Follow these 

 three steps! (l) Practice good sanitation; clean fly-breeding areas as often as is 

 practical. (2) Apply a barn spray material, such as dimethoate, diazinon or ronnel, 

 to the point of runoff on ceilings and walls of all livestock buildings except 

 poultry houses. Use only ronnel in poultry houses. (3) Supplement the spray 

 application with spray bait applications, using the same insecticide with corn sirup 

 and water (2-1 ratio). Other insecticide baits may be used to good advantage as 

 well. 



