GTBOP Webinar | September 19, 2024
Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Larson, Extension Professor, University of Kentucky
Moderator: Dr. Shimat Joseph, UGA Extension Entomologist
CEU: Category 24, Category 35
Kentucky pest management insights and invasive species moving toward the Southeast. White grub identification, black turfgrass Ataenius timing shifts, annual bluegrass weevil monitoring, hammerhead worms, spotted lanternfly, box tree moth from Ohio, and hybrid fire ants in Kentucky.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction and Welcome
1:00 Dr. Jonathan Larson Introduction and Background
1:23 Kentucky’s Pest Management Challenges
2:04 Golf Course Industry Survey: Regional Comparisons
2:32 Southeast vs. Central U.S. Pest Pressure
3:46 Kentucky’s Climate: A Transition Zone
4:20 White Grub Complex: Kentucky’s #1 Turf Pest
4:39 White Grubs Rogue Gallery: Four Key Species
5:10 Grub Identification Using Raster Patterns
6:28 White Grub Life Cycles Explained
7:17 Black Turfgrass Ataenius: The Exception
8:09 BTA: Two Generations and Overwintering Strategy
9:12 May and June Beetle Emergence Shifts
10:30 May/June Beetle Three-Year Life Cycle
11:34 Green June Beetle: The Biggest Grub
12:28 Green June Beetle Behavior and Damage Patterns
13:27 Cultural Controls for Green June Beetles
13:49 Annual Bluegrass Weevil: Major Kentucky Challenge
14:29 ABW Spread: From Connecticut to Georgia
15:31 Sod Movement Theory for ABW Distribution
16:03 ABW Identification and Physical Characteristics
17:21 ABW Life Cycle and Metamorphosis
18:00 Expert Resources: Dr. Ben McGraw and Colleagues
18:53 ABW Overwintering and Emergence Timing
19:45 Phenological Indicators: Dogwood and Forsythia Bloom
20:25 ABW Host Plants: Poa annua and Creeping Bent
21:23 ABW Damage Symptoms and Misdiagnosis
22:18 Soap Flush Monitoring Technique
23:11 Accidental Monitoring: Reel Mower Clippings
23:42 Tug Test for ABW Detection
24:43 Hammerhead Worms: Public Concern Overview
25:13 Land Planarians: Biology and Behavior
26:02 Tetrodotoxin and Rat Lungworm Concerns
27:00 Hammerhead Worm Reproduction Myths
27:52 Safe Handling and Disposal Methods
28:40 Spotted Lanternfly: Invasive Species Alert
29:20 SLF Distribution: Pennsylvania to Georgia Border
30:00 True Bugs: Hemipteran Characteristics
30:55 SLF Damage vs. Other Invasive Insects
31:43 SLF Host Range: 70+ Plant Species
32:22 Honeydew and Sooty Mold Development
33:13 SLF Population Impacts on Outdoor Recreation
34:18 Box Tree Moth: Emerging Threat from Ohio
34:41 BTM in Kentucky: Boxwood Vulnerability
35:16 BTM European Spread and Devastation
36:03 BTM Caterpillar Identification
36:42 BTM vs. Melonworm Moth Confusion
37:06 BTM Life Cycle and Generation Predictions
37:58 BTM Damage Patterns: Silk Nests and Curlicues
38:27 Distinguishing BTM from Other Boxwood Pests
38:55 BTM Control Options Available
39:00 Fire Ants Arrive in Kentucky
39:28 Hybrid Fire Ant: Cold-Tolerant Variety
40:02 Fire Ant Distribution in Southeastern Kentucky
40:47 Learning from Georgia’s Fire Ant Experience
41:02 Presentation Conclusion and Q&A Invitation
41:34 Q&A: Annual Bluegrass Weevil in Georgia
42:13 Q&A: Fishing with Hammerhead Worms
42:47 Q&A: Spotted Lanternfly Treatment Methods
44:03 Q&A: National Tree Check Month for SLF Detection
44:47 Q&A: Box Tree Moth Quarantine Effectiveness
46:02 Q&A: Temperature Limits on BTM Southward Spread
47:00 Final Q&A and Closing Discussion
49:10 Webinar Title Clarification
50:06 Sign-In Sheet Instructions and Closing Remarks
KEY TAKEAWAYS
White Grub ID: Raster patterns distinguish species—green June beetle (block I), May/June beetle (open zipper), masked chafer (no pattern), Japanese beetle (V pattern)
BTA Timing: Overwinters as adult, two generations/year, flies as early as mid-March requiring earlier prevention than traditional Mother’s Day to July 4th window
ABW Monitoring: Soap flush (1 tbsp citrus dish soap per gallon water) and tug test reveal populations. Spreads via sod movement. Confirmed in Georgia 2022.
Hammerhead Worms: Predators of earthworms, harmless to turf/humans unless eaten. Kill with salt or vinegar in sealed bag. Don’t chop—causes reproduction.
Spotted Lanternfly: Treat with bifenthrin contact spray or Dinotefuran systemic injection. Confirmed 1 Kentucky county, spreading toward Georgia. National Tree Check Month = August.
Box Tree Moth: Multiple Ohio counties infested. Caterpillars shred boxwood leaves leaving curlicues. Control with Acelepryn or BT. Quarantines delaying spread.
Fire Ants: Hybrid cold-tolerant variety now in southeastern Kentucky counties near Tennessee border.
Resources: Dr. Ben McGraw (Penn State ABW expert), Syngenta Weevil Track Tool
Contact: gtbop@uga.edu | UGA Center for Urban Agriculture
Series: Getting the Best of Pests (GTBOP) Webinar Series