TechNotes Tips - 05.02.02

The bluegrass billbug is actively depositing eggs in the leaf sheath of Kentucky bluegrass plants. Once the egg hatches, the grub will feed its way down through the sheath and crown of the plant into the soil. Damage usually appears mid-July to mid-August. Often times the damage is misdiagnosed as heat or drought injury. Damage is often most apparent in stressed areas of Kentucky bluegrass. On homelawns, this is usually along driveways and sidewalks.

For more in formation on this pest see:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2502.html
http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/billbug.html

Helminthosporium leaf spot and red thread remain active on Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass turfs. These diseases are favored by the cool wet conditions that have occurred for the last week in most of the northern United States. Adequate, not excessive, fertility levels can help less the disease severity.