-2- 



Count the number of beetles per plant for the next three to four weeks. When the aver- 

 age is one or more beetles per plant each week, the field may profit from a soil insec- j 

 ticide treatment next spring, if the field is planted in corn. 



Corn leaf aphids. They are present in small numbers. However, chemical control will 

 not be necessary, even on late corn. Lady beetles and insidious flower bugs are nu- 

 merous in many fields, helping to hold the aphids in check. Aphid populations reach 

 their peak between the late-whorl and brown-silk stage. After that, the number of 

 aphids declines rapidly. Therefore, most of our corn is or soon will be beyond the 

 stage when it would be damaged. If control should become necessary, malathion or di- 

 azinon are effective. Follow the label directions for dosage and restrictions. 



Woolly bears and cattail caterpillars. These pests are present in corn fields. They 

 are yellow- to-white, brown, orange -striped, and bristly. The woolly bears like to 

 chew off silks, similar to a scissors cut. The silks are usually cut at the level of 

 the ear husks. These caterpillars seldom eat completely down the silk to the ear tips, 

 as do rootworm adults. The silks will usually regrow and be pollinated. Cattail cater- 

 pillars prefer the leaves as food. These insects are not of economic importance, and 

 no control is recommended. 



SOYBEAN INSECTS ] 



Spider mites. Damage is being done to soybeans in areas that are dry. The soybeans , 

 adjacent to clover fields are the ones most likely to be attacked, but the mites may 

 also move in from grassy areas. Infested soybeans turn yellow and are stunted. Dam- 

 age is usually most severe along the edge of the field. The mites, which appear as 

 small black specks on the undersides of leaves, produce a webbing. 



Mite control is often erratic. If possible, direct the spray to the undersides of the 

 leaves. Place drops between the rows. Aim the nozzles toward the rows, pointing up- 

 ward at a 45-degree angle and backward away from the spray operator. NOTE: The op- 

 erator should wear protective clothing and should avoid spray drift when using this 

 nozzle arrangement . 



Use 1/2 pound of actual azinphosmethyl (Guthion) or 3/4 pound of actual carbophenothion 

 (Trithion) per acre. These sprays should be applied by experienced, licensed commer- 

 cial applicators only. Wait twenty-one days with azinphosmethyl and seven days with 

 carbophenothion between treatment and harvest. Do not feed treated soybeans as for- 

 age to livestock. Malathion, a safe insecticide for farmers to apply, generally pro- 

 vides poor control of spider mites and is not suggested. 



HOMEOWNER PROBLEMS 



Mosquitoes. To help reduce the number of mosquitoes in home yards, follow these steps: 

 (1) Eliminate standing water in such places as eave troughs, old tires, tin cans, chil- 

 drens ' toys, storm sewers, etc. (2) Apply a water-base spray containing 1-percent mal- 

 athion (2 ounces of 50- to 57-percent liquid concentrate per gallon of water) to shrub- 

 bery and tall grass. Repeat the treatment every week or two if needed. (3) Keep the 

 screens on doors and windows in good repair. (4) Hang plastic resin strips (2 by 10 

 inches) containing 20-percent dichlorvos (DDVP)--one strip per 1,000 cubic feet of 

 space, or about one per room. These strips will kill mosquitoes and flies for sev- 

 eral weeks. Do not use these strips in kitchens or other areas where food is handled. 

 Do not use them in any room where infants, the ill, or aged persons are confined. A 

 0.1-percent pyrethrum space spray- -applied from a pressurized spray can- -can be used 

 for quick knockdown in place of the dichlorvos resin strips. Frequent treatments will 

 be needed during problem periods. (5) When entering mosquito- infested areas, use a 

 repellent. One of the most-effective mosquito repellents is DEET (diethyltoluamide) . 



