“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

The University of Tennessee/Agricultural Extension Service

 Entomology & Plant Pathology - EPP #60

 

May 10, 2005

 

 

SOYBEAN RUST FOUND IN GEORGIA

by Melvin Newman and Beth Long                                                               

         

Soybean rust has been reported on April 28 in Seminole Co., Georgia on both soybean and kudzu.  This is the first report of soybean rust on soybeans this season in 2005.  The infected soybeans were volunteer soybeans that are near flowering (R1).  Seminole Co. is in the extreme south west corner of Georgia just north of  Tallahassee, Florida.  Soybean rust symptoms were also reported on kudzu just about one mile away from the infected soybean field.  This kudzu site was also a location where soybean rust was observed to occur last season in 2004. 

 

Dr. Bob Kemerait, Extension plant pathologist in GA, reported on May, 2, 2005, another county (Terrell Co.) near Dawson, GA with soybean rust.  This find was on a field of volunteer soybeans about 50 miles north of the first 2005 soybean rust discovery in Seminole Co. GA.  In addition, Florida also reported that they found rust lesions on Kudzu near Homestead, FL. 

 

Information about soybean rust can be found at web sites:

www.sbrusa.net and www.usda.gov/soybeanrust

and for wind current projections go to:

www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/soybeanrust

 

PS.  This is a good time for us to really begin looking for rust symptoms on kudzu and other hosts that might have some infection.  Please, let us know if you find these kind of symptoms.                      ÿ

 

 

MITE-AWAYIITM, A TREATMENT FOR TRACHEAL AND VARROA MITE RECEIVES SECTION 3 REGISTRATION

by John A. Skinner

 

Earlier this week, Mr. Gray Haun, Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Plant Certification & Apiary Program Administrator announced that Mite-AwayIITM, single application formic acid treatment for tracheal and Varroa mite received Section 3 registration from the EPA.  What this means is that the material can be used in each state after the registrant - NOD Apiary Products USA Inc.  successfully completes the application from the TDA for use in Tennessee.  NOD has not done this yet, therefore the product cannot be used in Tennessee.  A representative from NOD informed me that it is too late to apply the material in Tennessee this spring with nectar flows on now and temperatures increasing. They plan to register southern states in June before fall treatments when temperatures are more moderate and after nectar flows.

 

Mite-AwayIITM was developed in Canada and is an improved version of the original Mite-Away pads developed by Dr. Medhat Nasr and tested by our personnel in Tennessee eight years ago.  This material can be very effective to manage tracheal and Varroa but only if you apply it when temperatures are between 50 and 79 degrees F. At higher temperatures formic acid vaporizes too fast. Before using this material it is important to understand exactly how to use it and carefully observe the safety precautions to avoid serious health problems. See http://www.miteaway.com/ (Or call 866-483-2929) to view all details on the label that includes safety instructions (precautionary statements, hazard statements for humans and animals, environment, physical and chemical and handler personal protective equipment), directions for use in the U.S. and specifications for storage and disposal. Why so much safety?  The material is a very corrosive acid that is listed as a hazardous material because “it can be fatal if inhaled, absorbed through the skin or swallowed.”  If not handled properly, “it can cause skin burns and irreversible eye damage.”

 

One Mite-AwayIITM treatment pad is used one time only per colony for 21 days and then removed and discarded.  The material is not used when making honey and honey supers should be removed. You need to use protective goggles, an organic acid cartridge respirator, and wear acid resistant gloves (PVC, neoprene or nitrile). The pads are packaged individually in a plastic bag in groups of 10 in a polyethylene pail. To apply you slit the outer bag, remove the wet pad (don’t remove inner bag in contact with pad) and place with the side having holes down over top bars of top hive body above two ½  inch wooden sticks that are spaced 4 inches apart.  With treatment installed place a 1 ½ inch rectangular spacer (same dimensions as hive body) over the top hive body and install the inner cover above.  This spacer, and placing the pad on sticks allows air flow around the treatment needed for proper vaporization of the acid.  Entrance reducers should not be used and the pads should not be placed on any metal surface (like metal covered outer covers).

 

Cost of the product varies with quantity ordered and the cost of shipping and handling.  A tentative estimate varies between $2.60 and $3.50 per treatment. It will be much more cost effective if beekeeper associations pool their orders. A more accurate estimate will be available in June, 2005. This cost is competitive with current available treatments and is also effective for both mites. Mite-AwayIITM can be an important tool in an IPM program to manage mites.

 

 

COOPERATIVE STUDY EXAMINES OXALIC ACID AND SUCROCIDE TO MANAGE VARROA MITE

by John A. Skinner

 

This year a cooperative study funded by the National Honey Board and the Almond Board will determine if Oxalic Acid is an effective and safe control for Varroa mites in three climates: Mediterranean (Italy), Arid desert (Tucson, AZ) and humid SE U.S. (Knoxville, TN). Cooperators include Dr. Diana Sammataro and Ms. Jennifer Findley from USDA, (Tuscon), Dr. Antonio Nanetti from Italy and Dr. John Skinner and Mr. Mike Studer from the University of Tennessee.  The study will also examine new methods to apply sucrocide to reduce handling time during applications of this material. Protocols are almost complete and research will begin soon.

 

 

PHEROMONE TRAP UPDATE

by Frank A. Hale

 

Pheromone traps use a fairly species specific sex pheromone to catch the male of the species.  This lets the grower or entomologist know that mating and egg laying will soon follow.  In high value crops such as tree fruit, protective sprays will be applied so that the tiny caterpillars hatching from eggs will crawl or feed on the treated plant surface and quickly die.  Pheromone trap catches for some other crop pests alert the grower to soon begin field scouting for the larvae (caterpillars) and the first signs of plant damage.

 

I am trying out a number of different pheromone traps at the Ellington Center in Nashville.  While I have not caught any squash vine borers yet, I did catch another type of clearwing borer moth in the trap on April 21.  It was a pest of maple called the maple clearwing or red maple borer.  Another clearwing pest of maple, the maple callus borer, should also be active now.  Treat the trunk of maple trees with permethrin (Perm-Up, Permethrin Pro Termite-Turf-Ornamental, Astro) or bifenthrin (Onyx) if signs of borer activity are detected. 

 

Two other caterpillar pests caught in traps lately are the cabbage looper and the armyworm.  Cabbage looper moths were caught for the first time this spring on April 29.  The cabbage looper is a serious pest of cabbage.  The moth is dark brown with a 1.5 inch wingspread. There is an elongate silver spot in the middle of each front wing.   

 

The armyworm feeds on many types of grasses and high populations can do serious damage to corn, wheat, residential and commercial turfgrass, and pastures. When crops are stripped of their foliage, the caterpillars will move in large numbers in search of food.  This behavior is where the armyworm gets its common name.  Armyworm moths were caught for the first time this year on May 2.  The moths are light brown with a tiny white spot in the middle of each front wing..

 

 

CDC ADDS NEW MOSQUITO REPELLENTS TO GUIDELINES

by Karen M. Vail

 

On April 22, 2005, the CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, added two new active ingredients, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus, as suggested repellents to prevent mosquito bites.  DEET, the traditionally-recommended repellent, is still considered very effective and remains one of the CDC's top choices.   In fact, DEET and picaridin are listed as providing longer-lasting protection than other repellents and oil of lemon eucalyptus is listed as providing similar protection as lower concentrations of DEET.

 

Many of the repellent products containing picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus will be new, so we aren’t aware of all of them.  We did, however, find a few on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture web site (http://www2.state.tn.us/agriculture/onlineinfo/listproducts.asp).  Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent was listed as containing picaridin.  SC Johnson & Son, Inc. has a Tennessee registration pending for an Off! Skintastic product that will contain picaridin. Oil of lemon eucalyptus or p-menthane 3,8-diol (PMD) was listed as the active ingredient in OFF! Botanicals Insect Repellent (10%) and several Repel Lemon Eucalyptus products.  Other products may be available, but the TDA web site does not search by active ingredient. The CDC suggestion is rather vague and does not always list the percentage of active ingredients that are recommended, so I don't know the predicted length of effectiveness for those products listed above.

According to Reid Gerhardt, professor, UT Entomology & Plant Pathology, mosquito season has officially started, but we won't see much of Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, until the end of May. Ae. albopictus is our most common daytime biting mosquito in the Knoxville area, if not all of Tennessee, and really won't become a biting nuisance until mid-June or so.  In the mean time, here's a refresher on using repellents.

 

EPA recommends the following precautions when using insect repellents (Anonymous 2005):

Apply repellents only to exposed skin and/or clothing (as directed on the product label.) Do not use repellents under clothing.

Never use repellents over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.

Do not apply to eyes or mouth, and apply sparingly around ears. When using sprays, do not spray directly on face—spray on hands first and then apply to face.

Do not allow children to handle the product. When using on children, apply to your own hands first and then put it on the child. You may not want to apply to children’s hands.

Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing. Heavy application and saturation are generally unnecessary for effectiveness. If biting insects do not respond to a thin film of repellent, then apply a bit more.

After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water or bathe. This is particularly important when repellents are used repeatedly in a day or on consecutive days. Also, wash treated clothing before wearing it again. (This precaution may vary with different repellents—check the product label.)

If you or your child get a rash or other bad reaction from an insect repellent, stop using the repellent, wash the repellent off with mild soap and water, and call a local poison control center for further guidance. If you go to a doctor because of the repellent, take the repellent with you to show the doctor.

Note that the label for products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus specifies that they should not  be used on children under the age of three years. Other than those listed above, EPA does not recommend any additional precautions for using registered repellents on pregnant or lactating women, or on children. For additional information regarding the use of repellent on children, please see CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions about Repellent Use. [http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm]

DEET-based repellents applied according to label instructions may be used along with a separate sun screen. No data are available at this time regarding the use of other active repellent ingredients in combination with a sun screen.

See http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/insectrp.htm for additional information on using EPA-registered repellents.

 

Sources

Anonymous. 2005. Repellents are an important tool to assist people in protecting themselves from mosquito-borne diseases. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/RepellentUpdates.htm  April 22, 2005

CDC Media Relations. 2005. CDC Adopts New Repellent Guidance for Upcoming Mosquito Season.  http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050428.htm April 28, 2005.

 

 

SPRING CLEANING - WATCH FOR BROWN RECLUSE SPIDERS

by  Karen M. Vail

 

Just a reminder that brown recluse bites can occur during spring cleaning.  In fact, my presentation on brown recluse spiders includes two examples of bite reactions in which both occurred during the patients' spring cleaning in their basement.

 

Part of our recommendations for reducing brown recluse harborage in and around homes includes removing unused boxes and papers, sweeping out sheds and attics, cleaning around water heater compartments and removing old clothing from sheds, barns and attics.  Please use caution when performing these tasks and follow recommendations below to help avoid bites.  I'd keep a vacuum handy to remove any spiders and their webs as they are found.

 

Avoiding Bites

Most bites occur when the spider is pressed against the skin inside clothing or when rolled on in bed. To minimize bites in homes where brown recluse is present:

1. wear long rubber gloves taped to long sleeve clothing and closed shoes with socks taped to long pants when moving potentially infested items, i.e, cardboard boxes and many other items,

2. store clothing in sealed plastic bags or storage boxes,

3. store shoes in plastic shoe boxes,

4. shake clothing and shoes before wearing,

5. move beds away from walls or curtains and place glue boards under each leg,

6. remove bed skirts from box springs,

7. do not use bedspreads that touch or come close to the floor, and

8. inspect bedding before climbing into bed.

 

See PB 1191 Brown recluse spiders,  http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1191.pdf, for a thorough description of brown recluse and their management.  Updated pesticide recommendations can be found in this year's Redbook, i.e., The 2005 Insect and Pest Disease Control Manual under Household and Structural Pest Management for Professionals at http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/redbook/pdf/professionalinsects.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer Statement

Pesticides recommended in this publication were registered for the prescribed uses when printed. Pesticide regulations are continuously reviewed.

Should registration or a recommended pesticide be canceled, it would no longer be recommended by

The University of Tennessee.

Use of trade or brand names in this publication is for clarity and information;  it does not imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be of similar,  suitable composition, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the product.

 

The Agricultural Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, age, national origin, sex, veteran status, religion or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

and county governments cooperating in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

Agricultural Extension Service  Charles L. Norman, Dean