Jz^l 



COLLEGE OF 

 AGRICULTURE 

 UNIVERSITY OF 

 ILLINOIS AT 

 URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

 AND NATURAL 

 HISTORY SURVEY 

 URBANA, ILLINOIS 



^SECT WEED & PLANT DISEASE SURVEY BULLETIN 



iTE/COUNTY/LOCAL GROUPS/U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATING 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 



MAY -6 1971 



. 1, April 2, 1971 



This series of weekly bulletins provides a general look at the insect, weed, and 

 plant disease situation (fruit and commercial vegetables excepted) , along witn 

 suggested, abbreviated control measures. Each individual should check his own 

 fields to determine local conditions. 



GENERAL INFORMATION 



Farmers : Be careful when filling sprayers near wells. Many accidents have oc- 

 curred in the past. Keep the hose from the well out of the spray tank- -back- 

 siphoning can occur. Be careful not to spill concentrates alongside the well. 

 Do not drain sprayers by the well. Follow tnese and other precautions to pre- 

 vent problems. Handle insecticides with respect. Always wear gloves. Never 

 pour by holding a container above your head. Always pour granules into hoppers 

 so that the wind will blow any dust away from you. 



Homeowners: Store pesticides out of the reach of small children. Read and heed 

 the instructions and precautions on the label. 



INSECTS 



FORAGE INSECTS 



Alfalfa weevils . Development is slow and corresponds to slow crop growth. This 

 could mean that alfalfa weevil larvae will be more damaging than last year. Since 

 the larvae will already be feeding when the plants begin to grow, tne tiny new 

 shoots may disappear rapidly. 



Adults are present and have been laying eggs. Tiny larvae can be found. Their 

 presence will be noticeable in southern Illinois within the next 10 days if air 

 temperatures are moderate. In severely infested southern- Illinois fields, we 

 expect chemical control will be needed in about 10 days to two weeks, so watch 

 fields south of Highway 50. 



We are now making egg- and larval -population surveys. There is already a par- 

 ticularly high number of eggs per square foot of alfalfa in some fields in In- 

 diana and Missouri. The counts in Illinois are slightly higher than normal. 



Insecticide recommendations are the same as last year, 

 unless 25 percent or more of the tips show feeding. 



Do not apply insecticides 



CORN INSECTS 



European corn borer . Survival in the western, southwestern, and southern areas 

 is lower than normal. Winter-kill is apparently 10 to 50 percent greater than 

 last year. While this does not eliminate the corn borer as a potential problem, 

 that potential has been somewhat reduced. 



