Landscape Alerts – Page 12 – Center for Urban Agriculture

This caterpillar can sting – what is it?

November 30, 2015September 2, 2014 by Willie Chance

This information came from the UGA publication, Stinging and Biting Pests by Elmer Gray, UGA Entomologist. See the original publication for more information on stinging and biting insects

The caterpillars of some moths have sharp, hollow spines or hairs that contain venom. Contact with these spines causes a burning inflammation of the skin, but can be more serious when in contact with a mucous membrane or the eyes. The spines from dead caterpillars are still problematic. Most of these caterpillars feed on the leaves of various hardwood trees and shrubs and contact with people is uncommon. The venomous spines are a defense mechanism and the colorful patterns or unusual body shapes serve as a warning to their enemies. About 25 species have spines that can be painful. Three of the more common species are described below.

Puss Caterpillars:

Puss caterpillars may be pale yellow, gray or reddish brown, about 1 inch long and densely covered with hairs. Among these hairs are hollow spines with venom. Stings on the hand can cause the entire arm to swell and become numb. Later, there can be severe pain followed by itching. Young children are often more severely affected. Large population increases in local areas can cause a problem.

Saddleback Caterpillars:

The saddleback caterpillar is approximately 1 inch long and has a brown slug-like body with a green mid-section. In the middle of the green midsection there is a distinctive brown saddle mark with a white border. Venom-filled spines are located on fleshy “knobs” on all sides of its body. Contact with this caterpillar’s spines can be extremely painful and severe reactions are possible for sensitive individuals.

Hag Moth Caterpillars:

The hag moth caterpillar is a strange-looking brownish caterpillar with six pairs of curly projections, three long and three short, coming from the flattened body. The plume-like projections on its back project out to the sides, suggesting the disarranged hairs of a hag. Among the brown hairs on the projections are longer black stinging hairs. These caterpillars are solitary and can easily be mistaken for leaf debris.

Control:

Control is usually not needed since contact is uncommon and these caterpillars are usually solitary. If a number of stinging caterpillars are seen feeding on the foliage around areas where children are active, spray the foliage with an insecticide labeled for tree and shrub application. Remember, dead caterpillars can still cause painful stings. Spread a cloth or plastic sheet under a tree or shrub to collect the fallen dead caterpillars, and then carefully dispose of them.

Find other Stinging and Venomous Caterpillars here.

Controlling Nutsedge in the Landscape

November 30, 2015August 29, 2014 by Willie Chance

Purple nutsedge in flower, Mark Czarnota

Leaf tips of Yellow and Purple Nutsedge. Notice the differences in leaf tips. Purple Nutsedge has a keel shape, and yellow nutsedge is pinched. Mark Czarnota

Controlling Nutsedge

Mark Czarnota, Ph.D., UGA Ornamental Weed Control Specialist

This publication covers:

Identifying nutsedges
Herbicides and the sedges they control
Ornamental plants that can be sprayed over the top and the herbicides to use
Other methods of controlling sedges

Read entire publication here.

Post-emergence control of sedges in turf

November 30, 2015August 22, 2014 by Willie Chance

Information supplied by Patrick McCullough, UGA Extension Weed Scientist and the publication Weed Control in Home Lawns

Purple nutsedge Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental — Purple nutsedge – Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org

Hot and humid weather contributes to certain weeds in lawns – particularly sedges! Sedges come in many types – nutsedges, annual and perennial sedges and kyllinga. Identification of the sedge is the first step (though exact id of sedges can be difficult!) See this site if you need help with identification. Another great resource for weed identification is the UGA publication Weeds of Southern Turf.

Once you identify the sedge; select control methods based on this identification and the weeds biology – annual/perennial, warm/cool season, etc.

Post-emergence herbicide controls for sedges

Leaf tips of Yellow and Purple Nutsedge. Notice the differences in leaf tips. Purple Nutsedge has a keel shape, and yellow nutsedge is pinched. Mark Czarnota

flazasulfuron – Katana (25 WG) is a selective herbicide for control of annual and perennial grasses, sedges and broadleaf weeds in bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and certain other warm season grasses. Flazasulfuron has postemergence and some preemergence activity and may be used on golf courses (fairways, roughs and tees) and the following non-residential turf areas: industrial parks, tank farms, sod farms, seed farms, cemeteries, professionally managed college and professional sport fields and commercial lawns for control of cool season grasses and weeds from tolerant grasses. The maximum yearly application rate is 9.0 oz. per acres. Use only on labeled turfgrasses or severe injury may result. Do not apply to newly seeded, sodded or sprigged turfgrass until well established. Allow at least 2 weeks from the last application to the time of overseeding when applied at 1.5 oz per acre. Allow 4 weeks for rates above 1.5 oz
halosulfuron – Sedgehammer (75DF) is a selective herbicide for postemergence control of sedges such as purple and yellow nutsedge in established lawns. Sedgehammer may be applied to most major warm- and cool-season turfgrasses. For best results, apply 2/3 to 1 1/3 ounces of product per acre after nutsedge has reached the three to eight leaf stage of growth. A second treatment may be required six to 10 weeks after the initial treatment. Use the lower rate in light infestations and the higher rate in heavy infestations. No more than four applications can be made with the total use rate not exceeding 5 1/3 ounces of product per acre per season. Use 0.25% v/v of a nonionic surfactant (1 quart per 100 gallons of spray solution) for broadcast applications. Use only high quality nonionic surfactants that contain at least 80% active ingredient.
imazaquin – Image (1.5 lbs/gallon) is labeled for use only in established bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass. All other turfgrasses can be severely injured by imazaquin. This herbicide is primarily used for the postemergence control of annual sedges, yellow nutsedge, purple nutsedge and wild garlic. Imazaquin will also control numerous winter annual weeds and sandbur.
Green kyllinga – Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

sulfentrazone — Dismiss (4 lbs/gallon) is a postemergence herbicide labeled for most major warm- and cool-season turfgrasses. Use lower rates on cool-season turfgrass than warm-season turf due to injury concerns. Dismiss controls annual and perennial sedges, broadleaf weeds and suppresses goosegrass.Dismiss may be used on seeded, sodded or sprigged turfgrasses that are well established. Applications of Dismiss can be initiated following the second mowing provided the turfgrass has developed into a uniform stand with a good root system. Turfgrass injury could result from application of this product on turfgrass that is not well established or has been weakened by stresses such as unfavorable weather conditions, disease, chemical or mechanical damage. Dismiss may cause temporary discoloration to St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass.
Sulfentrazone is also found in the combination products Surge and Q4. Surge contains sulfentrazone, 2,4-D, dicamba and MCPP and effectively controls annual, biennial and perennial broadleaf weeds. Surge may be applied to dormant bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and bahiagrass but do not apply during spring green-up or in the fall during the transition period between active growth and dormancy. Q4 contains sulfenetrazone, quinclorac, 2,4-D and dicamba for broadleaf weed, crabgrass and nutsedge control. For best results, add 0.25 lb of active ingredient per acre of quinclorac (Drive) and 0.06 to 0.19 lb of active ingredient per acre of sulfentrazone (Dismiss) for crabgrass and nutsedge control, respectively.
sulfosulfuron — Certainty (75DF) is labeled for bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass. Certainty selectively controls sedges, kyllingas and tall fescue. A second application of 0.75 to 1.25 ounces per acre may be made four to 10 weeks after initial treatment, if needed. Some chlorosis or stunting of the desirable turf may occur following application. Use of a nonionic surfactant is required. Certainty suppresses annual bluegrass and controls or suppresses roughstalk bluegrass.
trifloxysulfuron-sodium – Monument (75 DG) is labeled for established bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. Monument is not recommended for use on other turfgrass species. Controls nutsedge(s), green kyllinga, annual bluegrass, tall fescue, torpedograss and certain broadleaf weeds. Not labeled for use on home lawns. Add a nonionic surfactant at 0.25 to 0.5% v/v to the spray mix. Avoid mowing for 1 to 2 days before and after application. For nutsedge repeat the application at 4 to 6 weeks if regrowth is observed. DO NOT overseed bermudagrass with cool-season turfgrasses for 3 weeks after application.

Cultural practices to control sedges

The first line of defense against weeds is to follow cultural practices that promote vigorous turfgrass growth and development. Weeds do not easily invade turfgrasses that are properly fertilized and watered and that are mowed at the correct height and frequency. Weeds appear primarily in bare or thin areas of the turfgrass, which may be due in part to one or more of the following:

Use of non-adapted turfgrasses.
Improper fertilization (too much or too little, wrong application date or N-P-K ratio).
Improper watering (too much or too little).
Improper mowing procedures (cutting height is too low or too high, or the turfgrass is not mowed at correct time intervals).
Failure to control diseases and insects.
Excessive amounts of thatch.

Visit www.GeorgiaTurf.com for additional information on turfgrass maintenance practices. The impact of proper cultural practices on a lawn weed control program cannot be overemphasized. Properly maintained turfgrasses are more competitive with weeds than turfgrasses that do not receive good cultural practices. The use of herbicides without following approved cultural practices will not result in a high quality, weed-free lawn.

Read the entire publication from which most of this information comes Weed Control in Home Lawns

Why do these lantana have injured leaves and no blooms?

November 30, 2015August 15, 2014 by Willie Chance

Lantana Lace Bugs Can Stop Bloom!

Why do these lantana have injured leaves and no blooms? — Lantana lacebug injury, Chazz Hesselein, Alabama Cooperative Extension, Bugwood.org

Lantanas can bloom from June through early October in Georgia. Lantana lace bug can stop blooming in the summer leaving green plants with no blooms. The lantana lace bug is a small brown insect up to 1/6 inch long. Adult lace bugs are long, oval insects with a midsection that is slightly wider than the ends. The rear of the lantana lace bug is blunt but rounded off. The young are dull-colored and spiny. Look for the lantana lace bug by shaking the branch over a piece of white paper or light-colored cloth.

Lace bugs feed on the bottom of the leaves and on young flower buds. They make the top of the leaves speckled with white, similar to mite injury. Underneath the leaf you may see brown, tarry spots that are the insect’s droppings. Since lace bugs feed on young flower buds, lantana bloom may be severely reduced or stopped completely. When populations are very high, the lantana leaves may turn almost white and fall from the plant.

Cultural Control:

Lace bugs do have several natural enemies that help to control their numbers – spiders, lacewing larvae, assassin bugs and predaceous mites. Be careful using pesticides to preserve these natural enemies of the lantana lace bug.

Planting less susceptible varieties of lantana may help reduce lace bug numbers though this may not completely control lace bugs:

Lantana that are less susceptible to lantana lace bug:

Weeping White, White Lightning, Weeping Lavender, Imperial Purple, Patriot Rainbow, Denholm Dwarf White, Radiation, Dallas Red, Gold Mound, New Gold and Lemon Swirl

Cultivars of Lantana montevidensis

Small leafed varieties seem to be less susceptible than large leafed varieties, although both types can be attacked by lantana lace bugs.

Lantana that are more susceptible to lantana lace bug:

Patriot Desert Sunset, Pink Frolic and Patriot Sunburst

If cultural and natural controls do not limit the lace bug population, you may need to treat with chemicals.

Chemical Control:

See the UGA Pest Management Handbook for pesticide recommendations. Read and follow all label directions when using pesticides. This is especially important now since some pesticide labels have changed.

Check the plants in two weeks after the first treatment and treat again if needed. Once you control the lace bugs, the blooms should slowly return if temperatures are warm enough and other growing conditions are good.

For more information:

What is the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional Program?

April 21, 2021August 14, 2014 by Willie Chance

Taken from this page.

What is the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional Program?

The Georgia Certified Landscape Professional (GCLP) program is a voluntary testing program that certifies those in the landscape profession who have mastered a thorough knowledge and understanding of job skills required to be successful in the industry.

The test consists of four written components and eight hands-on components. Applicants are provided a 400+ page printed study manual and access to a internet study site developed by the University of Georgia.

The GCLP program is endorsed by the Georgia Green Industry Association, the Georgia Turfgrass Association, the Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association and officially recognizd by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Written exam components include:

A multiple-choice test based on the study manual.
A plan reading skill test that requires participants to read and interpret a landscape plan, to answer questions pertaining to the plan, and to make calculations, such as square foot areas, plant quantities per area, etc.
A test on common insect, disease and environmental problems. Participants must identify 25 samples (photos or actual specimens).
A plant identification test that requires participants to identify fifty plant samples from a list of over 270 provided. Actual samples of trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, herbaceous perennials, annuals, weeds and turfgrasses will be placed on tables for ID.

Hands-on evaluations include:

Plan Lay-out: The participant will be given a planting plan and will be required to arrange containerized plants within a given are according to the plan.
Tree Planting and Staking: The participant must plant a tree according to specifications provided and show how to install a staking system.
Grading and Drainage: The participant must read a topographical map and demonstrate how to contour the grade of a site in a 10 ft. x 10 ft. sand box.
Pruning: The participant will show where and how to make pruning cuts and how to prune selected trees and shrubs.
Sod Installation: The participant must demonstrate the correct technique for laying sod in a given area.
Irrigation Management: The participant must identify the components of a conventional and low volume landscape irrigation system and demonstrate knowledge of proper operation.
Pesticide Application: The participant will demonstrate how to mix and apply pesticides properly and will discuss appropriate clothing to wear during pesticide application. He/she must also be prepared to discuss handling and disposal techniques.
Equipment Operation: The participant will discuss routine maintenance practices and proper operation of power equipment.

The written and hands-on exams are offered at least twice a year. The written components are given at the annual conference of the Georgia Green Industry Association in January and in the Atlanta area in August. The hands-on components are given spring and fall at the UGA Research and Education Gardens in Griffin.

15 hours of Continuing Education Units are required every three years to remain certified.

For information about testing dates and locations and testing fees, contact Kimberly Allen with the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture at 770-233-6107; e-mail khayes@uga.edu

Caterpillars feeding on shrubs and trees in the fall

November 30, 2015August 14, 2014 by Willie Chance

In the fall, there are several caterpillars that feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs. Although the leaf damage may look significant, the plants may not be as damaged as one may think. You need to understand the type, size and the growth phase of the plant and the type of caterpillar you have before deciding whether to control them.

Deciduous trees will soon be losing their leaves anyway. Foliage feeding by caterpillars is likely to cause little injury. The leaves are going to fall off anyway.

For evergreen trees, foliage loss will be more likely to affect the tree and control is more likely to be needed. For evergreen trees, especially avoid defoliation of entire limbs since these often do not recover.

Bagworms are a long lasting problem since the bags contain hundreds of eggs which will hatch next year. Unfortunately, at this time of year you will need to pick off the bags and destroy them since the bags are sealed now and pesticide cannot easily get inside. Remove the bags you can see right now and plan to check these plants for small bagworms next May.

Young trees or trees weakened by other factors may be more likely to be damaged by loss of foliage to caterpillars than younger, healthy trees.

Evergreen shrubs retain their leaves throughout the fall and winter and into next year. Injured leaves on evergreen shrubs will be visible until they fall naturally – which could be a year or more from now. Control decisions on shrubs should be based on the level of aesthetic injury the home owner will accept.

Deciduous shrubs, like deciduous trees, will be losing their leaves soon and foliage loss to caterpillars in the fall is less likely to cause a lasting problem.

For information on control measures, see these resources:

IPM for Select Deciduous Trees

Pest Management Handbook

Contact your local Extension Office

Forest Pest Insects in North America: a Photographic Guide

Pesticide Regulatory & Education Highlights

November 30, 2015August 11, 2014 by Willie Chance

Regulatory changes and sources of info for the Georgia pest control industries.

Willie Chance, UGA Center for Urban Agriculture

1. In January 2013 the U.S.-E.P.A. mandated some sweeping changes in the way pyrethroid-based insecticides will be used in the home environment. These changes will impact use labels for professional pest control operators and products available to homeowners in the over-the-counter market.

Pyrethroid insecticides can be recognized because the names of the active ingredients end in “-thrin” or “-ate”. Examples of commonly used pyrethroids are bifenthrin, cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin, esfenvalerate, etc. Pyrethroid products (sprays, aerosols, and granulars) are common in the professional market, and they dominate products in the over the counter (OTC) market.

Broadcast applications to large surfaces such as exterior walls of buildings, patios, or concrete walkways will no longer be allowed. Treat only where the pest is or will enter a structure (around windows, doors, or other openings). All outdoor applications must be limited to spot* or crack-and-crevice treatments only, except for the following permitted uses:

Treatment to soil or vegetation around structures;
Applications to lawns, turf, and other vegetation;
Applications to the side of a building, up to a maximum of 3 feet above grade;

[*A spot treatment is not to exceed two square feet; making adjacent spot treatments to cover a large area is not allowed.] Pyrethroids used for termite pre-treatments have additional guidelines

See the complete Guidance Document from which this info is taken – http://tinyurl.com/lfxg6eg These regulations will also be on the pesticide label. Read and follow the label – it is the law!

2. Pesticide applicators must now verify residency during recertification. During the 2013 legislative session, a house bill was passed that required all state agencies that issue licenses to verify the legal residence of the applicant. See this article.

3. MSDS sheets should eventually be modified by OSHA and called SDS sheets. These SDS sheets will be used globally. Info taken from http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/HCSFactsheet.html

Major changes:

Hazard classification: Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to determine the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import.
Labels: Chemical manufacturers and importers must provide a label that includes a signal word, pictogram, hazard statement, and precautionary statement for each hazard class and category.
Safety Data Sheets: The new format requires 16 specific sections, ensuring consistency in presentation of important protection information.
Information and training: To facilitate understanding of the new system, the new standard requires that workers be trained by December 1, 2013 on the new label elements and safety data sheet format, in addition to the current training requirements. See https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3642.pdf

More information can be found on OSHA’s hazard communication safety and health topics page at www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html. Note that these changes cover chemicals in general and does not replace existing pesticide labels and regulations.

Companies will want to:

Replace existing MSDS sheets with the new 16 section SDS sheets.
Provide training for workers on these changes. This 16 minute video can help supply this training – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvQNf1Y7E84

4. Label changes for the neo-nicotinyl pesticides (examples include imidacloprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin and thiamethoxam) These are to protect bees and other pollinators. Watch labels for the Bee Advisory Box. For more information see this article.

Recent research indicates that contamination of flowers or nectar with these pesticides can lead to bee injury. Do not treat pre-bloom or blooming plants with these chemicals. Read the label for other information. This will help protect bees and help to keep these available to the industry. http://archive.gaurbanag.org/insecticide-application-timing-vital-to-native-bee-conservation/

5. UGA has a video to help applicators prepare to take the Mosquito Control (Category 41) exam.

6. Georgia Clean Day is a program that gives an opportunity to discard old, unusable, or cancelled pesticides to a hazardous waste contractor for disposal. The Georgia Department of Agriculture has secured a limited amount of federal funds to revitalize the Georgia Clean Day Program for 2013. For more information or to find an event please contact Joshua Wiley (404-656-4958 or joshua.wiley@agr.georgia.gov) with the Department’s pesticide program.

7. Africanized bees have been discovered in Georgia. Though they look like traditional honey bees, when disturbed Africanized bees respond very aggressively and can kill or severely injure people who have not been trained in how to react to these bees. Everyone who works or spends much time outside should know how to deal with Africanized honeybees. See this article.

8. The GA Pest Management Handbook is updated annually with chemical and non-chemical pest control methods. It comes in a commercial and homeowner editions which can be purchased or viewed or downloaded as pdfs from http://www.ent.uga.edu/pmh/ See just the turf info or the new UGA turf app here –www.GeorgiaTurf.com.

9. UGA Apps to manage turf pests – http://blog.extension.uga.edu/urbanag/?p=581 or to identify invasive pests –http://apps.bugwood.org/apps.html

Online and other training

10. UGA Safety Makes Sense Landscape Worker Safety Certificate Course is available at no charge at vimeo.com/46623806. You can train on your time schedule, rainy day or any day. The training video (a compilation of the Safety Makes Sense series) can be viewed online or downloaded and saved for use when Internet is not available. The course includes Certificates of Completion.

The bilingual safety manual, Safety for Hispanic Landscape Workers, is available Online or for purchase All center safety training resources and Hispanic worker resources are available on the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture web site at Safety Makes Sense. This includes a series of short bilingual safety videos.

11. Monthly UGA webinar for landscape industry – http://archive.gaurbanag.org/webinars . Past classes are also online.

Also – Bi-monthly webinar for the structural pest control industry with credits – email Dan Suiter at dsuiter@uga.edu.

12. The Urban Ag Council has an excellent collection of Safety Zone training materials – http://www.maltamembers.com/safetyzone/. Part of this collection of training materials is the UAC Safety School.

13. Accessible Training for the Landscape & Turf Industries

Disposing of excess pesticides

Important Info for Landscape and Turf Pesticide Applicators

14. eXtension is a web-based collaboration of US land-grant universities to make university educational resources more accessible – http://about.extension.org/

eXtension Learn offers online classes covering topics like pest control, landscaping, etc. Register to be reminded of upcoming trainings, access trainings online & view past trainings at https://learn.extension.org/
Pest management in and around structures – http://tinyurl.com/3egomez
Integrated pest management videos – http://tinyurl.com/q99ts5a

15. eLearn Urban Forestry Online Training – An online, distance-learning program geared specifically toward beginning urban foresters and those allied professionals working in urban landscapes. Offers International Society of Arboriculture and Society of American Foresters credit and a certificate program. Visit www.elearn.sref.info

Find this information in this article.

Fall Armyworms in Turf

November 30, 2015August 6, 2014 by Willie Chance

Will Hudson¹, Cheri Abraham² and Kris Braman¹

¹ UGA Entomologists and ²Field Operations Manager/ Entomologist at US Citrus, LLC

In late summer, almost every year, caterpillars invade turfgrass throughout Georgia. The damage to established turf is mostly aesthetic, but newly sodded or sprigged areas can be more severely damaged or even killed. While there are several caterpillars that can damage turfgrass, in late summer most of the problems are from fall armyworms.

Hot, dry weather can intensify fall armyworm problems when egg-laying adults concentrate their eggs in irrigated, green turf. At least some cultivars of all warm season grasses are susceptible. Cool season grasses like tall fescue are very favorable for fall armyworm growth and development too, and do not regenerate as readily as the stoloniferous grasses.

Fall armyworm adults migrate northward every year from southern overwintering areas. Adult armyworm moths are active at night and females lay eggs in masses of 50 to several hundred. These night-flying moths are attracted to lights and to lighter colored surfaces. Egg masses on structures around turf (eaves and gutters, fence and porch posts, flags on golf courses) and even on taller foliage plants can be the first indicators of incipient infestations.

Eggs hatch in a few days, and the young larvae begin to feed on leaf tissue. Damage from small larvae may at first look like skeletonizing, but as the worms grow, the entire leaf is consumed. Small larvae at this time are easier to control and have inflicted less damage than full grown (35-50 mm long) larvae. Full grown larvae will soon pupate in upper soil/thatch layer and will not be susceptible to insecticides at this point.

Armyworm larvae are most active early and late in the day, spending the hotter hours down near the soil in the shade. Larvae feed for 2 to 3 weeks before pupating in the soil. Moths emerge 10 – 14 days later. The entire life cycle from egg to adult moth takes about 28 days in the warm weather of August and September.

If there is any doubt about whether worms are present, pouring soapy water on the grass (1/2 oz. dishwashing soap/gallon water) will bring them up very quickly. Heavily infested turf will also have visible greenish-black fecal pellets on the soil surface. Other indicators of armyworm infestations may include birds or even paper wasps that use the fall armyworms as food.

Control of Armyworms

Control of armyworms and other turf caterpillars is relatively simple once the problem is identified. There are several pesticides from which to choose depending upon the site you are treating. Consult the UGA Pest Management Handbook or your local Extension Agent for recommendations. Read and follow all label directions when using pesticides.

Armyworms are most active late in the day and at night, so pesticide applications should be made as late as practical for best results. It is not necessary to water after application but an application rate of 20 – 25 gallons of solution per acre as a minimum will ensure good coverage. Cutting the grass prior to application may improve control, but do not cut grass for 1 –3 days after application.

In addition to the birds and paper wasps mentioned above, a number of other insects feed on armyworms, including tiger beetles and other ground beetles. Fall armyworms, like many other turf infesting caterpillars can also be heavily parasitized by tiny wasps that kill the caterpillars and cause no harm to humans or pets. These natural enemies can be conserved by spot rather than blanket spraying and properly timing control efforts.

What is this large spider hanging around in landscapes?

November 30, 2015August 4, 2014 by Willie Chance

Female Golden Garden Spider, Image by Hancy Hinkle

The picture is of a Yellow Garden Spider which are often seen in the landscape in late summer and fall. Read on to learn more about this and another fall spider.

Late Summer & Autumn Spiders

Nancy C. Hinkle, UGA Department of Entomology

Between now and Halloween we will be seeing more spiders around our yards. The first hard frost will kill them off. Now they are mating and producing egg sacs so their eggs can overwinter and re-establish the population next spring. There are two orb-weaver spiders with large webs that are most commonly seen.

Barn spiders (Araneus cavaticus) can be found on porches, where flying insects attracted to porch lights get trapped in their webs. These spiders are nocturnal, constructing a new web every evening and taking it down before dawn. This rusty brown spider has legs extending about 2 inches, making it look large and noticeable. These spiders hide during the day, but at night are found in the middle of the web, waiting for insects to be trapped.

The yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is one of the longest spiders we have here in Georgia. It is frequently found in gardens and around shrubbery where it constructs large webs to entrap flying insects. The abdomen has distinctive yellow and black markings while the front part of the body, the cephalothorax, is covered in white.

The female yellow garden spider typically remains in one spot throughout her life, repairing and reconstructing her web as it is damaged and ages. Her web may have a distinctive zigzag of silk through the middle, explaining its other common name, “writing spider.” Unlike the nocturnal barn spider, the yellow garden spider can be found in its web anytime. Sometimes a smaller spider will be found in the web with her; this is the male garden spider.

These spiders have been present all summer, eating pest insects and growing. By late summer they are large enough that people start noticing them. Remember,Georgia has over 800 species of spiders, all of which are harmless if you leave them alone. All spiders are more afraid of you than you are of them.

For more information:

Call your local Extension Agent at (800) ASK-UGA1 or locate your local Extension Office.

Stinging and Biting Pests of People

Golden Garden Spiders

Pest Management Handbook Follow all label recommendations when using any pesticide

Fungicide Efficacy Chart Available Online

November 30, 2015August 1, 2014 by Willie Chance

Information from Jean Williams-Woodward, UGA Extension Plant Pathologist

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions for an efficacy table for fungicides labeled for ornamental plants. Well, myself, Alan Windham (University of Tennessee), Kelly Ivors (Cal Poly) and Nicole Ward Gauthier (University of Kentucky) put one together that lists products and their relative effectiveness for managing 14 diseases as part of a Southern Region IPM project. Diseases include:

bacterial leaf spots/blights
black root rot (Thielaviopsis basicola)
cedar rusts (Gymnosporangium rusts)
Conifer Tip Blights
Downy mildew
Fire blight
Fungal stem cankers
Fungal leaf spots
Fusarium stem rot
Passalora (syn. Cercosporidium, Cercospora) needle blight on Leyland cypress and other needled evergreens
Phytophthora root rot
Pythium root rot
Powdery mildew
Rhizoctonia blight/root rot

The table is not all inclusive, but it’s a start that we hope to expand upon and update. You can find the table here

Editor’s note – You can save the file as a pdf file to your computer. If you print it, do so in landscape format. I find the file to be more easily read as a pdf file on the computer since you can enlarge the size of the page. This is a great resource!

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