that are 10 days or more from harvest may benefit by an immediate insecticide 

 application. Otherwise, cut early. Weevil adults are still laying eggs, eggs 

 are hatching, and some larvae are already mature. These pests will still be 

 around for another 4 weeks, so \vatch for feeding damage to new shoots on second- 

 growth alfalfa and be ready to protect it. 



In the area north of the line from Harrisburg to Carbondale and south of a line 

 from Nashville to Mt. Vernon, treatments have already been applied to many fields, 

 or soon should be. Some of the earlier-developing fields may not need another 

 spray, but second growth will require protection. Although few treatments have 

 been made northward to Highway 50, larvae can readily be found in alfalfa fields, 

 and their number will increase rapidly with warm weather. The first growth in 

 most fields will need at least one spray application, but some of the earlier- 

 developing fields on the west side of the state (where the infestation is lighter) 

 may escape treatment if cut a bit early. 



In the area north of Route 50 and almost up to Route 40, weevil development is 

 very much behind what was expected, and it now appears that treatments will not 

 be needed at least until after May l--even later in the area north of Route 40 

 and south of the line from Watseka to Springfield to Hardin. 



Apply insecticide controls when 25 percent of the terminals show feeding. The 

 insecticide recommendations are: 



1. Experienced commercial applicators who have the proper protective clothing 

 will get the best results with methyl parathion applied at 1/2 pound per acre 

 or a special alfalfa weevil spray of azinphosmethyl (Guthion) at 1/2 pound per 

 acre. Azinphosmethyl can be applied only once per cutting . Do not harvest for 

 15 days after treatment with methyl parathion, 16 days for azinphosmethyl. 



2. The person not properly equipped with protective clothing to use methyl para - 

 thion or azinphosmethyl can use a mixture of 3/4 pound of malathion and 3/4 

 pound of methoxychlor per acre (3 pints of a concentrate containing 2 pounds 

 of methoxychlor and 2 pounds of malathion per gallon) or a mixture containing 

 at least 1/2 pound of diazinon and 1 pound of methoxychlor per acre (2-1/2 to 3 

 quarts of the commercially prepared mixture Alf atox) . You may also use 1-1/4 

 pounds of malathion per acre (1 quart of the 5-pounds-per-gallon concentrate) 

 in the morning, on days when air temperatures will be above 60° F. Do not 

 harvest for 7 days after treatment with methoxychlor, diazinon, or mixtures 



of them. There is no waiting period for malathion. 



The quantity of finished spray applied per acre is also important. Use no less 

 than 4 gallons per acre by air or 20 gallons per acre by ground machine. The 

 exception is on stubble, where 10 gallons per acre by ground will be sufficient. 



Clover leaf weevil populations in red clover fields are now declining. As usual, 

 a disease has begun to kill many of them. This disease has appeared in epidemic 

 proportions in some fields. 



Pea aphids are conspicuous by their low numbers in alfalfa fields. Ordinarily, 

 they are numerous by this stage of growth. Development will depend now on the 

 weather and on natural enemies, such as lady beetles and aphid diseases. V\hen 

 populations of pea aphids are extremely low on alfalfa in the spring, there is a 

 theory that the natural enemies of pea aphids (lady beetles, aphis lions, and many 

 others) fail to develop in great numbers. When this occurs, corn leaf and many 

 other aphids may be a problem during the warmer months. 



