1. Turf Insect Update 2007-2008 David J. Shetlar, Ph.D. The “BugDoc” The Ohio State University, OARDC & OSU Extension Columbus, OH © November, 2007, D.J. Shetlar, all rights reserved

2. Notes: This presentation is designed to update commercial applicators on changes in insecticides that are used on turfgrass.

3. Turf Insect Update – 2007-2008  Information resources  FQPA continues!!  Pest activity review  Efficacy of New Insecticides

4. Notes: This presentation will cover informational resources that are available from Ohio State University Extension personnel and web sites. I’ll briefly discuss the ongoing EPA program of evaluating pesticides under the Food Quality Protection Act. This program is continuing and the pyrethroid insecticides are being reviewed. I’ll then cover the insect activity observed in the 2007 season across Ohio as well as discuss insecticide efficacy and new products that are likely to be available in 2008.

5. http://ohioline.osu.edu

6. Notes: Ohio State University Extension’s primary Internet information resource is the OhioLine. This web site is located at ohioline.osu.edu. On this site, all the current factsheets and bulletins are posted. While it may seem difficult to find what you are looking for, try the search button. When you use this, enter in the name of the pest or problem about which you are looking for information and the search programs usually does a pretty good job of coming up with the most likely informational resources. In 2008, we are expecting a new look to the OhioLine with resources organized in a more user-friendly manner. Also, we will soon be able to take orders for bulletins online by using a credit card.

7. http://buckeyeturf.osu.edu

8. Notes: The Ohio State University Turfgrass Team has recently developed and posted a new web site called Buckeye Turf. This is located at buckeyeturf.osu.edu. On this site, there are areas that pertain to golf course management, sports turf management and lawn care. Regular postings of questions and answers are made as well as postings of educational podcasts. You can view these podcasts on any computer, not just hand- held equipment. Simply follow the instructions to download free viewing software.

9. http://bygl.osu.edu

10. Notes: The Ohio State University, Extension Nursery, Landscape & Turf Team (ENLT-Team) is a group of horticulturalists, entomologists, plant pathologists and related specialists that meet on a regular basis to share information and develop new outreach materials for Ohio’s Green Industries. During the growing season, members of the ENLT-Team meet by a phone conference every Tuesday morning to discuss what they have seen, what has been submitted to offices and our diagnostic clinic, and discuss what we might see in the near future. Notes of this discussion are taken and converted to a web-format newsletter by noon of each Thursday. So, the Buckeye Yard & Garden OnLine site (bygl.osu.edu) is the place to review what we are seeing and recommending.

11. The P.E.S.T. Newsletter available from: Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 614-899-1195 800-825-5062

12. Notes: Many of you subscribed to the P.E.S.T. Newsletter which I produce and distribute through the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. This newsletter comes out every other week from mid-March through mid-October and it contains the BugDoc’s “unique” perspectives on pest issues in Ohio’s landscapes. This newsletter is available, by subscription, only through the ONLA office. Be sure to tell the good folks at the ONLA that you are a member of one of Ohio’s associated green industries to get a discount. These would be ONLA, the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation or the Ohio Lawn Care Association. You can receive the traditional printed copy through the mail, a PDF version by email and a color version is posted on a private web site.

13. Come visit the BugDoc at: http://bugs.osu.edu

14. Notes: I maintain my own web site for distributing information on insects and mites that attack ornamental plants and turfgrass. It’s located at bugs.osu.edu. This site is where many of our extension entomologists post information, but if you click on my name, Dave Shetlar, my home page will pop up. Notice that I have postings of recent presentations, both as web viewable pages and as downloads which you can use with your computer in training. Also notice that I have my own links to factsheets and I teach a course, Entomology 462, on pests of ornamental plants, turfgrass and greenhouses. This entire course is posted on the internet.

15. FQPA Updates Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) continues to review insecticides and miticides. Dursban & diazinon restricted from residential use, while carbaryl (Sevin) and trichlorfon (Dylox) made it through the review but with restrictions on amounts! Pyrethroid reviews are now ongoing!

16. Notes: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finished its initial review of the organophosphate and carbamate insecticides under the direction of the Food Quality Protection Act. While most of the organophosphate and carbamate insecticides have been removed from landscape use, trichlorfon or Dylox and carbaryl or Sevin remain available though the number of applications and/or total amounts of insecticide that can be used per year have been limited. EPA has now started their review of the pyrethroid insecticides and early indications are that many of these will also be restricted.

17. Turfgrass Insect Activity in 2007 Bluegrass Billbug – major problem! White Grubs – patchy! late! Cutworms & Sod Webworms – up! Hairy Chinch Bug – continues to be missed!.

18. Notes: In Ohio in 2007, most of Ohio experienced major to extreme drought conditions. Since this started in early June, our old friend, the bluegrass billbug, killed major areas of lawn and sport field turf, especially when this turf was not irrigated. Damaged lawns didn’t recover in September and October, just like what we saw in 2005, another drought year. White grub populations were generally down, but patchy across the state. Northern Ohio got some rains in July and August which seems to have helped grub populations but elsewhere, white grubs were mainly a problem only in irrigated turf. While cutworms and sod webworms “appreciate” dry summer conditions, their populations didn’t seem to be excessive. On the other hand we continue to document more chinch bug populations across Ohio lawns.

19. Ohio Lawn Damaged (killed) by Bluegrass Billbug!

20. Notes: This is a lawn killed by billbugs in the drought of 2005. We saw many similar lawns in 2007. Who knows what the green tufts of turf are in this lawn? (perennial ryegrass, though tall fescue would be a good guess) Why is the lawn up from the killed lawn so green? (it was being irrigated and was on a lawn care program that included a billbug insecticide!) The lawn down from the damaged lawn is green but showing signs of drought. It was treated for billbugs, but the lack of water is showing up. Bottom line, billbugs PLUS drought in June results in dead grass. Perennial ryegrass and turf-type tall fescues with endophytes are resistant to billbug, chinch bug and sod webworm attack!

21. Billbug Diagnosis – Use the “tug test”

22. Notes, the way to confirm billbug attack is to use the “tug test.” Simply grasp the dead grass stems and pull up. If they break off easily, and upon close inspection, you see some fine sawdust-like material packed inside the stems, you have confirmed billbugs! The sawdust- like material is call Frass and is the excrement of the billbug larva left behind as it burrowed down the stem. We were able to confirm billbug damage in lawns all the way into September and October by inspecting the turf that didn’t come back after the long, dry summer.

23. 2006 Ohio Billbug Test Treatment% ControlRate 0.187 Merit 0.5G 64 7.80Sevin Lawn 2G 73 0.30 Merit 75WDG 95 0.25 Merit 0.5G 73 appl - 24 May (early curative); Columbus, OH; read – 12 July; 31.9 larvae+pupae/sq.ft. check 0.20Arena 50WDG 100 0.25Meridian 25W 91 0.50Triazicide 0.114G 59

24. Notes: Each year, we perform insecticidal efficacy trials against billbugs. In fact, we have a billbug “ranch” which consists of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars that are highly susceptible to billbug attack. Since our ranch is irrigated, we are able to keep the turf alive. In this study, we were looking at reduced rates of Merit compared to other neonicotinoids such as Arena and Meridian. Merit, Arena, and Meridian at their normal label rates gave excellent billbug control. Notice that the pyrethroid containing Triazicide produced poor control.

25. 2007 Ohio Billbug Then Grub Test Treatment Billbug % Control Rate appl - 9 May; Columbus, OH; billbug read – 28 June, 18.6/sq.ft. check; JB adults caged in July, grubs read - 28 Sept, 17.9/sq.ft. checks Grub % Control 0.12/0.06 lb.Aloft SC100.068.0 24oz/ABifenthrin SC 68.2 80.0 0.25Arena 50WDG 100.0 0.25/0.13 lb.Aloft G77.3100.0 0.20Meridian 25WDG100.0 84.0 0.25Merit 75 WP77.3 72.0 0.24/0.12 lb.Aloft SC95.5100.0

26. Notes: I often talk about making billbug control treatments in May and those applications should kill white grubs that come in later in the season. In 2007, we put out our normal billbug controls and rated them, but afterward we caged Japanese beetles over the treated plots to force them to lay their eggs in the plots. We then came back in late September and rated the white grub control. As you can see, the standard neonicotinoids (Merit, Meridian and Arena) controlled both the billbugs and the white grubs with the single application. The Aloft in this study is a new combination insecticide which will be on the market in 2008. This contains bifenthrin (Talstar) and clothianidin (Arena). Aloft also did well against the billbugs and subsequent white grubs.

27. Grub Complex – May/June Beetle green June beetle European chafer masked chafer Japanese beetle Oriental beetle Asiatic garden beetle Ataenius Aphodius Grub Complex – Ohio has them all!

28. Notes: Remember that Ohio has the dubious distinction of having virtually all of the major white grub species found in North America! As you can see, the adults of most of these are pretty distinctive, but the larvae are all C-shaped white grubs. In order to identify which species you are dealing with, you’ll have to get one of our identification factsheets and look at the grub raster patterns. In most of Ohio, Japanese beetles and masked chafers are the most common species found. However, from Toledo to Ashtabula the European chafer, Oriental beetle and Asiatic garden beetle has become established. These three grubs are commonly a bit more difficult to kill. In the southern counties, the green June beetle is more common, and the tiny Ataenius and Aphodius grubs are mainly golf course pests

30. Notes: This is a picture of a really “GOOD” white grub infestation! But of course, this could only be stated by a turfgrass entomologist! While these major populations of 20 to 50 grubs per square foot were not that common last summer, irrigated turf often showed up with such populations. Also notice that the underside of the sod that was pulled back has channels and grooves in it. This is from the grubs feeding in the soil-thatch interface. Remember, white grubs eat organic matter and thatch is rich in organic matter. Oh, yes, grubs eat the turf roots as they are chewing through the thatch.

31. Ranked Efficacy of White Grub Insecticides 1976 – 2005 a – rateaverange% of tests Insecticidelb.ai./a.% control# tests% controlbelow 70% Carbaryl8.072.84313-10040 (=Sevin) Chlorpyrifos 4.0 54.6 32 0-9659 (=Dursban) Permethrin 0.26 31.8 8 0-54100 Trichlorfon 8.0 77.6 910-9819 (=Dylox, Proxol) a Data from ESA publications (1977-2005) & Ohio testing using masked chafer and Japanese beetle data where label timing recommendations were used and at least 4.0 grubs per sq.ft. were found in checks. Clothianidin 0.3 99.5 499-1000 (=Arena) 0.25 94.7 390-1000 Halofenozide 1.5 91.2 6510-10012 (=MACH2) 2.0 89.6 5356-1009 Imidacloprid 0.3 94.1 8858-100 6 (=Merit) 0.4 94.1 782-1000 Thiamethoxam0.296.1380-1003 (=Meridian)

32. Notes: This table contains a summary of the efficacy of various insecticides used to control Japanese beetle or masked chafer grubs. These were replicated trials performed by many entomologists across the country. While you’ll likely be drawn to the average percent control, also look at the number of studies which were used to make an average, and look at the range of controls (most are not 100% effective!) and the number of studies where the insecticide didn’t achieve the minimum acceptable control of 70%. Arena, Merit and Meridian are the three neonicotinoids that regularly score 90% control as does MACH2, an insect growth regulator. Notice that Dylox and Sevin are also fair grub controls and these are some better products for curative or rescue grub control.

33. Masked Chafer Annual Cycle Larval Prevention Larval Curative

34. Notes: Recent field trials of grub insecticides have looked into earlier and later applications. It appears that the residues of the newer insecticides, Merit, Arena, Meridian and MACH2 are definitely very good when used as grub preventive treatments. That is, applications made well before white grub egg laying (July) through the time that the first instar grubs are feeding (late July into mid-August). If we look at the other end of the window, when second instar grubs are present, these same insecticides still give very good (MACH2) to excellent control.

35. Comparison of Grub Insecticide Efficacy by Time of Application Halofenozide1.588.5 (8)94.4 (23)88.8 (21)89.6 (19) 77.7 (27) (=MACH2)2.080.5 (4)63.7 (9)93.8 (12)75.0 (5) --- Imidachloprid0.374.4 (12)91.3 (27)94.7 (39)93.6 (29) 94.1 (35) (=Merit)0.462.0 (1)88.0 (1)89.0 (1)82.0 (1) --- Clothianidin0.25100.0 (1)90.0 (1)97.0 (2) --- --- (=Arena)0.393.0 (1)100.0 (2)99.0 (2) --- 97.0 (1) Thiamethoxam0.2 80.0 (5) 98.8 (11) 98.6 (9)98.3 (11) 93.7 (8) (=Meridian)0.26 91.5 (4) 99.3 (3) 99.3 (2)98.0 (6) 100.0 (4) Trichlorfon8.0---------62.2 (5) 77.7 (19) rate ave % control (#tests) Insecticidelb.ai./a.MayJuneJulyto Aug 16to Sept 10 a Data from ESA publications (1977-2005) & Ohio testing using masked chafer and Japanese beetle data where label timing recommendations were used and at least 4.0 grubs per sq.ft. were found in checks.

36. Notes: In this table, I’ve included those early (May) preventive grub control studies and the later curative data. While this table has little data on May applications of Arena and Meridian, our own studies confirm excellent control from applications made in May. In fact, Merit seems to be slightly less effective in May applications. On the other end of the calendar, notice that MACH2 efficacy drops while the neonicotinoids remain strong.

37. Use Milorganite™ to discourage animals!

38. Notes: In many cases, we find that skunk or raccoon digging is a bigger problem that damage caused by the white grubs! In any case, if the skunks or raccoons have discovered a grub infestation and are digging up the lawn, we are now suggesting that you spread Milorganite over the area after you have applied a remedial grub control. This generally will keep the digging animals away until the insecticide can kill the grubs.

40. Notes: If I told you that this picture of an Ohio Kentucky bluegrass lawn was taken in early July, what would you say is going on? Most would figure out that this is likely just summer heat and drought stress, but this lawn was being irrigated! It’s chinch bug damage. Hairy chinch bugs are showing up primarily in Kentucky bluegrass lawns, often ones established using sod and/or being irrigated. Too often lawn technicians assume that the browning is due to a disease or summer dormancy. DON’T ASSUME!! Get out on the lawn and look in the thatch layer to see if chinch bugs are the culprits! Be sure to look where the brown turf and green turf merge. This is where the maximum number of chinch bugs will be running about.

41. Hairy chinch bugs in thatch Hairy chinch bug adults - long wing & short wing forms

42. Notes: Young chinch bug nymphs are a bright orange color with a white stripe across their backs. As these nymphs get older, they change to a gray-purple and finally slate gray-black color. The adults are black with white wings. All stages can be seen by spreading the turf canopy down to the thatch. On sunny days, the adults will often be sunning themselves on the tips of grass blades.

43. 2005 OH Hairy Chinch Bug Control – Over-the-Counter Insecticides appl. 21 July., Pickerington, OH; 70.6, 111.8 & 116.4 hcb/sq.ft. checks @ 4, 7 & 14 DAT TreatmentRate % Control 4DAT14DAT7DAT Merit 0.2G0.13779370 280.1095Merit 0.2G81 820.0564Arena 0.1G75 640.1988Bayer Complete80 510.0675Arena 0.1G86 620.03492Triazicide 0.04G93 381.0186Grub Stop 1.5G82

44. Notes: This slide of a chinch bug field trial is to remind me that the neonicotiniods (like Merit and Arena) are pretty good chinch bug control insecticides, but they usually take about 10 to 14 days to achieve good control. On the other hand pyrethroids like lambda-cyhalothrin (Scimitar and Triazicide) are usually more rapid in their action. The top pyrethroid insecticides for chinch bug control are bifenthrin or Talstar, beta-cyfluthrin or Tempo Ultra, and lambda-cyhalothrin. Deltamethrin is a moderately good pyrethroid for chinch bug control.

45. New Insecticides Meridian™ (thiamethoxam, a new neonicotinoid from Syngenta) – excellent grub control, long lasting, etc. – Registration received in February 2007. Acelepryn™ (=E2Y45 or Ryanaxypyr, a new insecticide category from DuPont) – excellent grub control, long lasting, etc.; also good on billbugs, chinch bugs and turf-infesting caterpillars – Registration expected in spring of 2008. Aloft™ (=clothianidin plus bifenthrin) – new combo product from Arysta with excellent broad spectrum activity and rapid knock-down of surface insects.

46. Notes: If you haven’t been paying attention, we have two new insecticides that have been registered for turfgrass use in Ohio. Meridian was registered last year and this neonicotinoid seems to be pretty comparable to Arena and Merit in the spectrum of insects that it kills. Meridian seems to be slightly faster acting than Merit but about the same as Arena. Aloft is really a combination of Arena plus Talstar or bifenthrin. This combo product is similar to Bayer’s Allectus that contains Merit plus Talstar. A new material, Acelepryn is pending registration and DuPont hopes to get full registration in the spring of 2008. This is a very new type of insecticide that affects insect muscles. It has had very long residual action and prevents most turfgrass insect pests from causing damage.

47. 2006 May Preventive Grub Trial (15 May) Treatment% ControlRate Hilliard, OH; read - 11 Oct; 25.3 grubs/ft.sq. check; 74%NMC/26%JB 0.26 lb.Acelepryn SC100 0.15 lb.Arena 50WDG99 0.05 lb.Acelepryn SC99 2.00 lb.MACH2 1.5G56 0.10 lb.Acelepryn SC 100 0.25 lb. Arena 50WDG 100 0.21 lb.Acelepryn SC100 0.30 lb.Merit 75WP99

48. Notes: Just to demonstrate the efficacy of acelepryn, this is a grub control trial put out in May using various rates of this insecticide. Notice that even very low rates are very effective for season-long grub control. We’ve had similar results against billbugs, chinch bugs and turf- infesting caterpillars.

49. 2007 Grub Trial - Rate & Timing Columbus, OH; read - 2 Oct; 4.63 grubs/ft.sq. check; 27%NMC/73%JB Treatment% ControlRateAppl.DateDAT 0.12/0.06 lb.17AprAloft SC78168 0.30 lb.17AprMerit 75WP84168 0.25/0.13 lb.Aloft G17Apr100168 0.24/0.12 lb.17AprAloft SC100168 0.12/0.06 lb.26JuneAloft SC10098 0.30 lb.26JuneMerit 75WP9598 0.25/0.13 lb.Aloft G26June10098 0.24/0.12 lb.26JuneAloft SC10098 0.12/0.06 lb.6SeptAloft SC9526 0.25/0.13 lb.Aloft G6Sept9726 0.24/0.12 lb.6SeptAloft SC9526

50. Notes: This is a timing study comparing Aloft, the combination product of Arena plus Talstar, compared to Merit as a standard. Late April, late June and early September applications all yielded excellent grub control.