IPM Hot Topics

AUSTIN—Three Texas A&M AgriLife Extension personnel received honors at this year’s Texas Pest Management Association in Austin. The awards were given to Extension Agent-IPM Stehen Biles, Extension Agent-IPM Danielle Sekula-Ortiz, and Extension Agent-IPM Rick Minzenmayer for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. Biles received the 2014 Excellence in IPM Programming Award for seven… Read More →

by Blair Fannin, AgriLife Communications WACO – Blackland producers should be mindful of the sugarcane aphid, which infested grain and forage sorghum crops in parts of Texas in 2014 and can pose another threat with the upcoming crop season, said Dr. Allen Knutson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, Dallas. Knutson gave an update on… Read More →

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Experts say insect ‘invasion’ will continue as temperatures drop SAN ANTONIO – If you think you’re seeing spots before your eyes around the holidays, it may just be a tiny gnat-like insect “getting up in your grill,” according to entomologists with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “If… Read More →

By: Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANGELO – The tawny crazy ant, a relative newcomer to the U.S., is expanding its range, causing concern among Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists, said a state entomology leader. “The tawny crazy ant is an invasive species that came into Texas a little over 10 years… Read More →

By Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications September 12, 2014 Floyd County find is region’s first FLOYDADA — They’re hundreds of miles from the nearest sugarcane fields, nevertheless sugarcane aphids have now been positively identified in significant numbers on grain sorghum in Floyd County, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist. The confirmation near… Read More →

by Kathleen Phillips, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLEMAN — Sugarcane aphids have been identified on sorghum in San Saba and Coleman counties, marking the first time the insect has been found west of Interstate-35, according to Dr. Charles Allen, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service statewide integrated pest management coordinator, San Angelo. AgriLife Extension agents Rick… Read More →

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications AUSTIN – If you live in South Central Texas and have noticed cedar trees turning brown, it is likely due to a new infestation of juniper budworms, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist. “Many people in this area have noticed their Ashe juniper trees, commonly called… Read More →

by Rod Santa Ana, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications WESLACO  –  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service scientists are warning South Texas grain sorghum producers to be on the lookout for a new insect pest that, left unchecked, could wipe out their entire crop. Dr. Raul Villanueva, an AgriLife Extension entomologist, and Danielle Sekula-Ortiz, an AgriLife Extension… Read More →

Threat could spread, experts warn  by:  Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, DALLAS – Crape myrtle, a much used Texas landscape plant, is under threat from a new type of scale invader, said two Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Dr. Mike Merchant, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at Dallas, said the new scale pest turns the bark of… Read More →

by Rod Santa Ana WESLACO  –  A tiny insect of unknown origin is posing a serious threat to the billion dollar Texas grain sorghum crop, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. The threat comes at a time when a lingering drought and market pressures suggest growers will plant a larger than normal crop… Read More →