The answer is yes, but only if you plan to survey your fields for beetles now, once or twice a week, and you determine whether the beetles you find are females with eggs. To determine the need for an adult-suppression program, select 10 plants at random in five areas of a field, for a total of 50 plants. Count the beetles on each plant. Western female rootworm beetles have distinct black stripes on their yellow wing covers, while males have mostly black wing covers.
Northern females have a large abdomen that extends beyond the back of the wing covers.
To determine if eggs are present, squeeze its abdomen between your thumb and forefinger. If a pure white, milky substance with an even consistency is exuded, the beetle does not have eggs. If the substance contains oval bodies, the beetle is gravid, or has eggs. If more than 10 percent of the female beetles are found to have eggs, and the beetles have been in the field for a while, do not treat for suppression because it's probably too late to effectively suppress egg laying. If you spot less than two larvae per plant or less than eight by washing and flotation, the program can be considered a success.