Entomology
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SB 48-04
Aquatic Environments
This section of the Home & Garden Edition covers external parasite control in aquatic environments, including fishery chemicals, aquatic weed control, response to herbicides, restrictions, and calculating concentrations in aquatic environments. Beginning in 2022, the Home & Garden Edition has been updated biennially. When purchasing a product based on a first-year recommendation of the Handbook, check the current product label before purchase to be sure it is still labeled for the use for which you are buying it. For pesticide products you have on hand from earlier purchases, you are allowed to use them until they are depleted without penalty under the law. Always follow label instructions before use. Contact the product’s manufacturer for the most up-to-date label.
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SB 48-05
Home Orchard
This section of the Home & Garden Edition covers pest control in home orchards, including apples, peaches, bunch grapes, muscadines, strawberries, blueberries, and other fruits. Beginning in 2022, the Home & Garden Edition has been updated biennially. When purchasing a product based on a first-year recommendation of the Handbook, check the current product label before purchase to be sure it is still labeled for the use for which you are buying it. For pesticide products you have on hand from earlier purchases, you are allowed to use them until they are depleted without penalty under the law. Always follow label instructions before use. Contact the product’s manufacturer for the most up-to-date label.
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Accurately distinguishing insect pests from beneficial arthropods is a critical component in the implementation of an effective and sustainable pest management program. This circular provides a succinct and practical summary of natural enemies commonly found in pecan orchards in the Southeast U.S.
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Whiteflies are common and recurrent insect pests of cotton in Georgia. The severity of whitefly damage varies from year to year based on the size of the pest population. The most abundant species of whitefly found infesting cotton in Georgia is Bemisia tabaci, commonly known as the silverleaf whitefly (SLWF) or sweet potato whitefly. Another species, bandedwinged whitefly (Trialeurodes abutiloneus), may also be present in Georgia cotton. This publication highlights whitefly biology, damage, sampling procedures, control methods, and tips for managing risk in cotton.
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The success of the Southeast Boll Weevil Eradication Program has played a major role in the recent revival of Georgia’s cotton industry. Along with these economic benefits, the remarkable success of the eradication program
has led to a significant decrease in insecticide use in Georgia cotton, and to substantial environmental benefits to growers and residents of the state.|
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This report provides research and extension results for trials conducted by the University of Georgia Vegetable Team and its collaborators in 2023. Contributing authors include county and regional faculty as well as specialists from UGA’s horticulture, plant pathology, crop and soil sciences, and entomology departments. All research has been supported by the Georgia Commodity Commission for Vegetables.
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Gloomy scale (Melanaspis tenebricosa) is a serious insect pest that affects maple trees in urban Georgia. It can go undetected for years. Affected trees can show branch dieback and canopy thinning after 6–10 years, when the population reaches extremely high densities. A waxy shield covering protects females from predators and insecticide exposure, and usually gives them a convex shape.
The armored scale wax covering on the bodies of gloomy scale can be detached using a knife. This is different than soft scales, such as wax scales, which are glued to the females’ bodies. Gloomy scales do not produce honeydew, also unlike soft scales. Female gloomy scales have piercing and sucking mouthparts that look like tubes that are inserted into the parenchyma cells (cells that synthesize and store trees’ organic products) in the epidermal layer of tree bark. Male gloomy scales do not have mouthparts. The black and gray dust that deposits on tree bark makes scale detection even more challenging over time, as they camouflage to the color and texture of the bark. This is especially true for trees planted along right-of-ways and parking lots.|
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Oak lecanium, Parthenolecanium quercifex (Hemiptera: Coccidae), is a common soft scale insect pest of oak trees and other woody plants. They infest trees under high stress, such as those planted in parking lots, greenscapes, and other urban areas. Like other soft scale insects, oak lecanium scales feed on tree sap, and they excrete the excess sugars as honeydew. Sooty mold fungus grows on honeydew, and its black color blocks sunlight and interrupts photosynthesis. Although lecanium scales have little immediate impact on twigs and branches, extensive infestation and subsequent feeding damage may weaken or kill the tree over time. The problems with lecanium scale are worsened in urban landscapes where local temperatures are generally higher. Higher temperatures decrease the relative number of parasites that feed on scale insects, and the high densities of surviving females continue to produce viable eggs.
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This publication is a guide to 110 common pest insects found in and around the home, including prevention and treatment options.
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