Snuck up on me.

[Texasmark]

Been watching for Sugar Cane Aphids in my Johnson Grass hay patch. Checked a couple of days ago and saw nothing. Checked today and they were all throughout the patch, maybe a percent or two.....got them before they could get established.

Went back to the barn, got my cutter out and whacked it down. Really didn't want to do that because I wanted to seed the lot with tops since I am just now getting it established.....butttt didn't want Aphids to ruin a nice patch and didn't want to spray poison on something somebody is going to feed their animals.
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While on the subject, anybody have any problems with feeding a hay crop with light infestation? If so, mind passing on what happened.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[callmefence]

Been watching for Sugar Cane Aphids in my Johnson Grass hay patch. Checked a couple of days ago and saw nothing. Checked today and they were all throughout the patch, maybe a percent or two.....got them before they could get established.

Went back to the barn, got my cutter out and whacked it down. Really didn't want to do that because I wanted to seed the lot with tops since I am just now getting it established.....butttt didn't want Aphids to ruin a nice patch and didn't want to spray poison on something somebody is going to feed their animals.
----------------
While on the subject, anybody have any problems with feeding a hay crop with light infestation? If so, mind passing on what happened.

Thanks,
Mark

I've grazed haygrazer with a considerable infestation with no problems. The aphids drill into the stalks and feed on the sugar. The sticky residue they leave behind is very sweet and cattle love it.
I've thought about trying to spray with something like prevlethon (spelling?) Which has a long residual. I don't know of anyone who's tried it.

 

[Allenw]

if its too badly invested it won't dry worth a flip and ends up being a waste of time. I didn't realize johnson grass was susceptible to sugar cane aphids

 

[bird dog]

I had some aphids on my sorghum almum last week but was turning the cows into it so it didn't matter much. They didn't complain about them.

Ain't it funny how all the Johnson grass that grows in the road side ditches seems to be immune from everything.

 

[Texasmark]

if its too badly invested it won't dry worth a flip and ends up being a waste of time. I didn't realize johnson grass was susceptible to sugar cane aphids

First hit was in 2014 and have been here every year since. I usually run haygrazer in the summer months and about 4th of July I get hit. This year my winter crop was late coming off and I was into June before I could get it off, about 6 weeks too late to plant a summer crop so I just let my Johnson grass take over. Being in the sorghum family I guess they just dined on what was available.

Cut yesterday, late morning to noon time line. This AM I checked and they were milling around the clippings and there was some goo when you touched the leaves. Around 4 PM today I was back out there checking and I saw numerous Aphids but none were moving and the goo had almost completely dried up and in this heat the curing process was moving right along.......really happy as that was a question I had.....will it cure itself if caught early enough....I guess so.

Thanks for the input on cattle loving the sugar. Wink! That helps me sleep better.

 

[Texasmark]

Ain't it funny how all the Johnson grass that grows in the road side ditches seems to be immune from everything.

Well, that's what pointed me in the JG direction, plus a couple of other niceties about the "weed". Thought they'd leave it alone....guess not. Too close a cousin to Haygrazer I guess.

I wonder if they attack Milo? Or Corn?

 

[TexasBred]

Ain't it funny how all the Johnson grass that grows in the road side ditches seems to be immune from everything.

Well, that's what pointed me in the JG direction, plus a couple of other niceties about the "weed". Thought they'd leave it alone....guess not. Too close a cousin to Haygrazer I guess.

I wonder if they attack Milo? Or Corn?

Milo yes, corn no. Folks over on I-35 farm land have about quit planting milo because of them and the expense of spraying to get rid of them before harvest.

 

[Allenw]

They get here some years usually during August, really hit and miss but can be devastating if not paying attention.