Because dying larvae are hard to distinguish from living ones, wait 2 to 3 days after treatment before checking to make sure the treatment was successful. Warrior T can be applied before any cereal leaf beetle eggs have hatched. In this case, treat using Warrior T if there is more than one cereal leaf beetle egg for every four stems. Other Management Strategies Beetles prefer thin stands so follow good agronomic practices that promote full stands and high-yielding wheat. Also avoid late planting because adult beetles typically prefer less mature plants to more mature plants.
Heavy rains can kill immature cereal leaf beetles.
If heavy rains occur between the time a field is checked and insecticides are to be applied, wait for the foliage to dry and check the fields again. Cereal leaf beetles are controlled by natural enemies in the northern United States. Since 1995, the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the University of Georgia have been releasing stingless wasps that attack cereal leaf beetle eggs and larvae. Eventually, this and other natural enemies will help keep cereal leaf beetle populations below economically damaging levels. Ladybird beetles are also important predators and can destroy many eggs and larvae.