1. At what stage cotton is safe from Lygus bug?
No treatment is needed once cotton reaches 350 DD60s beyond cutout (5 NAWF).
2. What is the threshold for Lygus bug after peak bloom?
Use of drop cloth is the best way to measure plant bugs after peak bloom. Treatment thresholds based on drop cloth sampling is 4 to 6 Lygus bugs per 6-foot row.
3. What insecticides to use to manage lygus bug in cotton?
Below is a table with the list of suggested insecticides. Add Transform to the list.
Click Image to Enlarge
4. Would these products provide control against stink bugs too?
Acephate and Bidrin has a good activity against stink bugs. However, other plant bug products alone (e.g. Transform, neonicotinoids) will only provide some level of stink bug suppression and will not be enough to effectively control them.
Tip: Do not confuse seed bugs or scentless plant bugs with Lygus. Although fairly common, scentless plant bugs feed mostly on weeds and are harmless to cotton.
Lygus bug (photo: Pat Porter)
Scentless plant bug
