Tag: pest
-
Question of the Week – Walnut Caterpillar
What kind of caterpillar is this that was found munching on the leaves of a pecan tree? These are walnut caterpillars (Datana ministra). Walnut caterpillars are native to the US and are common in the Southeast. Eggs are laid in masses and the larvae remain congregated throughout their juvenile stages. Though they bare a slight…
-
Question of the Week – Rice Trunk
What is this piece of equipment used for? This piece of equipment is called a trunk and was historically used to manipulate the water levels in rice fields along the coast of South Carolina. The fields could be flooded or drained by adjusting the height of the doors (attached to the bottom of the three…
-
Question of the Week – Stink Bugs
What has caused this gelatinous substance to ooze from a developing peach? This gelatinous substance is often called “gummosis” and can be caused by a number of things, such as disease, mechanical damage, cold damage, or insect damage. In this case, the most likely cause is stink bug feeding damage. When stink bugs feed on…
-
Question of the Week – Squash Beetles
This week, the question was: What is this critter that was found on the underside of a cucumber leaf? This spiky looking thing is a squash beetle larva. This is one of two species in the lady beetle family that feed on vegetable crops. The other is the Mexican bean beetle. Squash beetle adults look…
-
Yellow-legged Hornet Sighted in Savannah, GA
From Clemson Apiculture and Pollinator Specialist Ben Powell. Recently, the Georgia Department of Agriculture reported that a specimen of the yellow-legged hornet (YLH) (Vespa velutina) was confirmed from Savannah, GA. This native of southeast Asia is a predator of other insects, often attacking colonies of other social wasps and bees, including western honey bee colonies.…
-
Question of the Week – Pickleworm
This week, the question was: What caused the hole in the side of this cucumber? (Nothing is wrong with the color. This cultivar is called Silver Slicer.) This week’s question is a review from a post Tom Bilbo wrote recently about pickleworms. Pickleworms feed on the blooms and tunnel into the developing fruit of cucurbit…
The South Carolina Grower 