Pest Patrol: Watch Out for These Corn and Soybeans Pests

It’s necessary to scout your fields and keep records of your observations of any landscape plant problems caused by these corn and soybeans pests.

Corn Pests

Cutworms

Cutworms are small, black larvae that are found at the base of plants, above or below the soil. The damage they cause can look as if the corn plant has been cut off at the base. If the plant is bigger cutworms can sometimes cause small holes.

Wireworms

These worms are medium to small in size and develop into click beetles over a six-year period. Click beetles get their name from the click mechanism they possess, which happens when their spines snap into a corresponding notch and produce a click sound and action that can bounce the beetle into the air. This mechanism is usually used to escape predators, and is also practical when the beetle is on its back and needs to flip right side up.

Wireworms eat a hole through the center of seeds. They will also go through the crown of corn and kill the plant. Consider using in-furrow insecticide, or a seed treatment if you plan to replant a field.

Soybeans Pests

Bean Leaf Beetles

In appearance, adults are about ¼-inch long, have oval-shaped bodies, and heads that are visible from above. Some are yellowish-green with four black spots and wings that are outlined in black. Other adult bean leaf beetles are red with black spots and wings outlined in black. There are yet more, of either color, that don’t have spots at all and their wings are not outlined in black. All bean leaf beetles have a black triangle at the top of their wing covers.

Adult bean leaf beetles can feed directly on a soybean pod, as well as on the underside of leaves where they can create round, 1/8-inch diameter holes. The adults are active from mid-May to early June, and again from mid-July through September.

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