It is vital to keep an eye on pest activity throughout the season. There are different techniques that can be used to monitor insect activity. You can use various methods to determine when and where insects are active and may cause damage to the course.
Take advantage of these techniques to track activity and management plans about your findings.
Clues for Scouting for Turf Insects
When you see turf damage, try to investigate and look for clues that might help you determine the cause. You can assess the damage to determine what type of insect species might be causing the harm. What to look for in the damage:
- Pattern
- Color
- Size
- Severity
- If and where there is feeding (i.e. in the roots or blades)
- If the turf is easily pulled up
You will also want to consider if there are certain conditions or locations that seem to lead to damage. Typically insect damage will occur about the same time each growing season. Plant phenology is helpful to decipher what insects might be there within a specific time frame. Be sure to make notes when you notice damage and other stages of development so that you have something to reference during routine field observation. Keeping track of seasonal pest activity can make a huge difference. Maintenance and safety measures do not always go as planned, which is why securing Tee to green insurance is so important.
Active Turf Insect Scouting Techniques
It is important to know which kinds of conditions certain insects prefer to zone in on scouting efforts in the most likely areas.
Visual inspection
The simplest way to look for turf insects is to simply get down and look for them. You can tease apart the upper layers of the thatch, looking for movement. You can also cut a sample out and tease it apart. The best way to scout for insects that feed on turf roots is to take a sample that includes the foliage, thatch, and roots. This can be done by pounding the soil from underneath to dislodge it.
Flotation
To collect a flotation sample, remove both ends of an empty coffee can or something similar and insert it into the soil to fill with water. By submerging it with water, most insects will float to the surface or drown.
Soapy flush/disclosing solution
You can consider using a soapy flush to irritate insects in the turf, making them come to the surface. The mixture is two tablespoons of lemon-scented dish detergent to a gallon of water. Note that soapy foam acts as a magnifying glass with the hot sun and can burn the grass, so don’t try this in the full sunlight.
Salt flush
Salty water is an irritant and also makes everything more buoyant. You can dissolve about 1 cup of table salt in a quart of lukewarm water and pour it into one-inch square turf samples. Record the insects that rise to the surface.
Vacuum
A leaf blower/vacuum shredder can be used to collect turf samples. Insert a collecting bag or net in the open end of the vacuum cylinder that is sturdy enough to handle the vacuum flow of the machine while also allowing enough air to pass through. Choose a length of time such as 45 seconds or one minute to run the machine in the sample area to compare numbers from other samples.
Passive Turf Insect Scouting Techniques
You may need to use a technique that involves trapping insects.
Pitfall traps
Pitfall traps trap insects that fall into the device. This works by using a cup with a hole that is inserted, so the lip is level with the surface. Traps are checked consistently to determine if a population is increasing rapidly. There should be a preservative in the device so that insects can not escape, such as rubbing alcohol.
Pheromone traps
Pheromones are chemicals produced by animal species, including insects, to communicate with others of the same species. The insect sex pheromones can be used as lures in traps. A commonly used trap is a Japanese beetle trap, containing the sex pheromone that attracts males and a floral scent to attract both sexes. This is a helpful method to attract beetles in large quantities and to monitor adult activity.
Blacklight traps
Since nocturnal insects are attracted to light at night, blacklights are helpful to bring out insects after dark. These traps are created to fall into a collecting device placed below the light source and attract large numbers of insects. This is a great way to determine when insect activity is increasing.
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