Square retention counts should be continued into the second week of bloom. Be sure not to confuse plant bugs with false chinch bugs. BAW is a dry weather pest and our conditions meet that criteria. BAW is also much more likely to occur when beneficials have been disrupted. Fortunately, good numbers of benes are present in most fields at this time.
Beets can infest cotton at any age or stage from seedling to cut-out.
They are primarily foliage feeders and complete a generation about every 3 weeks. Eggs are laid in masses or clusters on the undersides of leaves. Upon hatching, small larvae feed in a group on the underside of the leaf, leaving the upper leaf surface intact. Beet armyworm infestations or BAW infestations should be reported as number of active hits per 300 row feet. If a suspected hit is observed, examine the underside of the leaf for the presence of larvae.