Nelson County Master Gardeners

Lawns

1. Pest Management Guide: Home Grounds and Animals, 2012
2. Pest Management Guide: Horticultural and Forest Crops, 2012
3. Pest Management Guide: Field Crops, 2012
4. 2011-2012 Virginia Turfgrass Variety Recommendations
5. Compact Soil Sampling Strategy for White Grubs

   Annual white grubs (WG) are early-season pests attacking corn seeds and seedlings (Figure 1). Heavy WG infestations can cause stand and yield losses of up to 20%. Because grubs occur in the soil, their presence in fields and subsequent damage to corn may go unnoticed until too late. Also, 30% overwintering mortality in WG densities is typical in VA. Insecticidal seed treatments such as clothianidin (Poncho^TM) and thiamethoxam (Cruiser^TM) are the tools of choice for controlling soil insect pests. Growers typically must decide whether to purchase insecticide-treated seed well in advance of spring planting.