Cotton aphid infestations develop on the undersides of leaves throughout the plant canopy. The use of drops on ground application equipment is recommended. Some aphicides may not perform well if delivered to the crop using oil as the carrier. Late Season Avoid sticky cotton once bolls open. Low infestation levels of cotton aphids can excrete sufficient honeydew to contaminate the lint of open bolls and create significant and costly problems at the textile mill.
Mills are reluctant to buy contaminated lint.
In the Rolling Plains, planting date can be used to reduce the probability of lint contamination by aphid honeydew. Early planted fields are very susceptible to honeydew contamination of lint during September. Once lint has been contaminated very little can be done to alleviate the problem. However, if aphids remain on the plants after a rain or irrigation, the lint remains susceptible to further contamination. Fields should be harvested in a timely manner to prevent late season aphids from contaminating lint.