Although pasture mealybugs have not been detected in Mississippi, entomologists and forage specialists at Mississippi State University urge farmers to frequently scout their pastures for signs of the invasive pest.
“We can’t definitively say we don’t have it here. It could be here. We just haven’t detected it yet,” said Zia Williamson, an entomologist with the MSU Extension Service who specializes in forages, turf and ornamentals. “We feel it is likely just a matter of time until we do find them because they move so easily from one place to another.”
The pasture mealybug, known by its scientific name Heliococcus summervillei, can quickly damage and eventually kill pastures and hay fields if undetected. They can spread to new areas by such ways as the movement of hay or by wind.
“It is very important to catch this pest early, especially in pastures and hay fields because forage and hay production can be devastated if the pest is allowed to multiply. If your field is killed by the pest, you’re looking at two years to fully reestablish those fields,” Williamson said.
Source : msstate.edu