Page 12 April 2010 UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Grasshoppers and RAATs? They’re a great combination

By Scott Schell is also reduced as treated swaths Dimilin 2L is the least toxic of Did grasshoppers strip your are alternated with untreated currently registered compounds pastures and yards bare last sum- swaths to take advantage of the and is applied at the lowest dose mer? grasshopper’s mobility. to take advantage of grasshopper Maybe you can use RAATs RAATs work through chemical nymphs’ gluttony. to manage them this year. I didn’t control, meaning grasshoppers are Early planning, organization, misspell and mean the beady-eyed killed in treated swaths and as they and survey is critical to preventing rodents. I am referring to Reduced move out of untreated swaths, and the devastating late-summer dam- Agent and Area Treatments, an in- conservation biological control, which age grasshoppers can inflict. dtegrated pest management (IPM) allows insect predators and parasites Joining with neighbors and strategy developed at the Univer- preserved in untreated swaths to visiting with local University of sity of Wyoming to provide a low continue to prey on grasshoppers. Wyoming Cooperative Extension cost, effective means of reducing This integrated pest manage- Service (UW CES) educators, grasshopper infestations to non- ment (IPM) approach can reduce county weed and pest control dis- damaging levels on rangeland and the cost of control and the amount trict officials, and licensed applica- around farmsteads. of insecticide as compared to tors about planning and applying traditional blanket treatments by RAATs IPM strategies will be the Insecticides Reduced more than 50 percent. Eradication best way to prevent grasshopper RAATs is a simple concept, of grasshoppers is not the goal problems from happening. in which the rate of insecticide is of RAATs as leaving some grass- UW CES county contact in- reduced from label levels suitable the treated swaths will be largely and bait. Of the current products hoppers after treatment as a food formation is at http://ces.uwyo.edu/ for adult grasshoppers to lower unaffected unless they feed on registered for grasshopper control, source for other animals keeps the Counties.asp. rates that work well on the little treated foliage. Dimilin 2L has ideal properties for environment healthier and more successful RAATs programs and Wyoming weed and pest con- nymphs. The amount of insecticide Treat the Nymphs in balance in the long-term. Less reducing impacts on non-target trol district contact information is The key to success with insecticide in the environment animals. It only kills immature at www.wyoweed.org/addresses. RAATs is determining when pest For more information, lowers the risk to non-target spe- insects that eat the treated foliage html. grasshoppers start to hatch in the please visit: cies like fish, wildlife, and humans. by interfering with the production Scott Schell is the University The untreated swaths provide spring and then treating them of Wyoming assistant extension www.uwyo.edu/grasshopper/ of chitin. Chitin is only found in a refuge for organisms with lower while the nymphs are still less than entomologist and can be reached at www.uwyo.edu/grasshopper insects and other arthropod exo- mobility than grasshoppers, and ½-inch long. RAATs can be done (307) 766-2508 or [email protected]. support/Html_pages/raats.htm skeletons. even those insects that move into by air, ground, and with sprays

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Correct identification of insect order important for pest control By Sandra Frost hardened outer wings and folded, that damage crops include leaf- Order Hymenoptera About 1 million insect species membranous inner wings. hoppers, spotted alfalfa aphid, and have been described by scientists. Russian wheat aphid. More than 90,000 of them are Diptera (flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges) – Species in this Hymenoptera (bees, ants, in North America, and between Order order undergo complete metamor- wasps, sawflies, horntails) – These 10,000 and 15,000 are in Wyoming. Diptera Less than 1 percent of all insect phosis. Larvae may have chewing insects undergo complete meta- species are serious pests that af- egg, nymph, and adult. Nymphs mouthparts or mouth hooks. Spe- morphosis. Adults have two pairs are miniature adults that keep on cies with mouth hooks are called of membranous wings and gener- fect humans, their animals, crops, per populations can reach high astructures, or fiber. growing to full size. Grasshoppers maggots. Adults have one pair of ally have chewing mouthparts. numbers and damage crops over a are examples of simple metamor- wings. They have either sponging Many Hymenoptera are beneficial Scientists distinguish among wide region. living organisms based on kingdom, phosis. Complete metamorphosis or piercing mouthparts. Members insects that help control pest spe- phyla, class, order, family, genus, includes four stages: egg, lar- of this order may be pests (such as cies. Two species necessary to crop Identification of an insect at and species. The insect class is in vae, pupae, and adult. Butterflies mosquitoes or sugar beet root mag- production are the honey bee and the order level allows producers to the animal kingdom, Arthropoda (Lepidoptera) are an example of got) or beneficial insects (such as the leaf-cutter bee. plan integrated pest management complete metamorphosis. strategies based on life cycle and phylum. The class of insects is parasitic flies that control pests). Lepidoptera (butterflies, A short description of orders mouthparts. Take an insect sample divided into orders based upon Hemiptera (stinkbugs, plant moths) – Members of this order that include the most common to a University of Wyoming Coop- broad characteristics such as mouth bugs, squash bugs, boxelder bugs) undergo complete metamorphosis. crop and garden insects will help erative Extension Service educator parts or life cycle. A successful – Metamorphosis is simple in this Larvae are worm-like caterpillars with identification. Life cycle, in your county for complete iden- pest control strategy is based upon order. Adults have piercing-suck- with chewing mouthparts that mouth parts, and wings are useful tification. correct identification at the order ing mouthparts and two pairs of feed voraciously. Adults have level because pest control strategies characteristics for identification. wings. Adults and nymphs are both two pairs of membranous wings Additional resources: commonly target an insect that eats Coleoptera (beetles, weevils) damaging in pest species (lygus covered with small scales. The http://ces.uwyo.edu/Entomology. in a particular way or a particular, – These insects undergo complete bug in seed alfalfa). Some species mouthpart is a coiled sucking asp vulnerable stage of growth. metamorphosis. Larvae are worm- (such as damsel bugs), however, tube. Adults feed on nectar. Crop The Wyoming School IPM site An insect may have either a like. Adults have chewing mouth- are predators of harmful insect pests in the larvae stage include the www.uwyo.edu/wyschool_ipm/ simple or complete metamorpho- parts and two pairs of wings. The pests (such asaphids). alfalfa looper, corn earworm, army Reduced Agent and Area Treatments sis life cycle. A simple life cycle is outer pair of wings is hardened. Homoptera (scale, mealy- cutworm, and true armyworm. www.uwyo.edu/grasshop- Pest species include blister beetles, bugs, whiteflies, aphids, leafhop- Orthoptera (grasshoppers, persupport/Html_pages/ Mexican bean beetle, wireworms, Order pers) – These insects undergo crickets) – These insects undergo ghwywfrm.htm flea beetles, and western corn Hymenoptera simple metamorphosis. There can simple metamorphosis. Nymphs rootworm. Sandra Frost is a University of be winged and unwinged adults resemble small adults and molt Wyoming Cooperative Extension Dermaptera (earwigs) – within the same species. Adults four to five times as they grow Service educator based in Powell These insects undergo simple have sucking mouthparts. Many into adults. Adults have two pairs specializing in crop systems. She can metamorphosis. Mouthparts are members of this order are carriers of wings. Mouthparts are the cut- be contacted at (307) 754-8836 or the chewing type. They have short, of plant pathogens. Homoptera ting and chewing type. Grasshop- [email protected].