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 COLLEGE OF 

 AGRICULTURE 

 UNIVERSITY OF 

 ILLINOIS AT 

 URBANA CHAMPAIGN 

 AND NATURAL 

 HISTORY SURVEY 

 URBANA. ILLINOIS 



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NSECT WEED & PLANT DISEASE SURVEY BULLETIN 



rATE/COUNTY/LOCAL GROUPS/US. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATING 



JHE 03RABK 0E IHB ] 



JUL 81971 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 12, June 18, 1971 



IVERSITY OF ILLINOig 



This series of weekly bulletins provides a gener % a r &~ look at the insect, weed, and 

 plant disease situation (fruit and oomrneroial vegetables excepted) , along with 

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

 fields to determine local conditions. 



PRECAUTIONS 



We have an unconfirmed report of the death of a child from a pesticide. A highly 

 poisonous pesticide, not available for homeowners, somehow was in a soft-drink 

 bottle in a refrigerator. A small youngster drank it. This proved to be fatal 

 almost immediately. Safe storage of pesticides is a must. Do not store pesti- 

 cide in the refrigerator, the medicine cabinet, under the kitchen sink, or any 

 other place where small children can get to it. 



Our Illinois agricultural pesticide accident record is a good one, so now is not 

 the time to ease back and become careless. Continue to use proper precautions in 

 the mixing and handling of pesticides and always remember to store them where small 

 children, persons not accountable for their actions, and animals cannot get into 

 them. Never store a pesticide in anything but the original, properly marked con- 

 tainer. Remember, unmarked insecticide granules have been fed to livestock. This 

 proved to be fatal. Look around, is everything properly marked? 



INSECTS 



CORN INSECTS 



Wireworms . Because of hot weather, wireworms are going down into the soil and 

 there is little new feeding damage. These wireworms live in the soil from two to 

 six years. Be prepared next year to control wireworms in those spots which were 

 badly infested this year. 



Armyworms . Adult armyworms are heavy-bodied brown moths that deposit eggs on grasses 

 in weedy cornfields. After consuming the grassy weeds, they turn to the corn. If 

 they only eat the leaves below the ears, little damage is done, but when they attack 

 the silks and leaves above the ear, yields may be reduced. If your cornfield is 

 weedy, watch for armyworms during July. 



European corn borer . Egg mass counts made from Carbondale to Oregon on the west 

 half of the state this week revealed remarkably low infestations. Approximately 

 100 of the most advanced fields were checked, and counts rarely exceeded 10 egg 

 masses per 100 plants. With so much tall corn, female moths readily find a place 

 to lay eggs. Rarely is egg-laying concentrated in any one field, and it appears 

 that few fields will warrant spraying for first-generation corn borer. But check 

 exceptionally advanced fields for another week in southern Illinois, for two weeks 

 in central Illinois, and for about two to three weeks in northern Illinois. 



