With some
of the early-planted cotton already in the second or third week of squaring, we
are starting to pick up quite a few cotton fleahoppers and isolated colonies of
cotton aphids across the region. One of the common questions I’ve been getting
is about product choices for managing these pests.
For cotton
aphids, I would keep a close eye before pulling the trigger. With all the rain
we've had over the past few days, there’s a good chance it may wash off some of
the aphids. So, I would let the weather and beneficial insects work their magic
before making a treatment decision.
Most of
the products recommended for cotton fleahopper also have some activity against
cotton aphids. For instance, Transform WG, Centric 40WG, and Carbine 50WG—all
commonly used for cotton fleahopper control—also offer decent efficacy on
aphids. Of these three, Transform has the best activity on cotton aphids and is
also very effective against fleahoppers.
Some of
the cheaper options include acephate and Bidrin 8. Acephate is the least
expensive but also the least rainfast, with shorter residual activity. Bidrin
offers slightly better rainfastness and longer residual control on both cotton fleahoppers
and aphids; however, it is much harsher on beneficial insects compared to
Transform, Centric, or Carbine.
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| Adult cotton fleahopper (picture: Pat Porter) |
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| Plant terminal infested with cotton aphids |
