Andy Michel
PVC Kudzu bug traps have been placed in southern Ohio counties and along I-75.
Last week, the University of Kentucky reported the presence of the invasive kudzu bug in another county (http://kentuckypestnews.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/kudzu-bug-collected-in-christian-county-ky/). This is a severe pest of soybean, and is rapidly spreading since its first detection near Atlanta in 2009 (see http://www.kudzubug.org/distribution_map.cfm). Fortunately, we have not found the kudzu bug yet in Ohio. This year, the Ohio Soybean Council is supporting a trapping network to help us detect its presence. We have PVC traps designed by Virginia Tech University (see image) placed in southern counties near the Ohio river, which is one of the most likely places to first see it. The kudzu bug is also a very good, but unwanted, hitchhiker in vehicles, and interstate 75 goes right through the heart of kudzu bug country. In fact, the new find in Kentucky was found near an exit ramp of I-24. We have additional traps near exits in Western Ohio, just off of I-75. We hope that we don’t see the kudzu bug, but if we do, we will provide updates in future articles. And as always, if you think you have the kudzu bug in your fields, please contact us!
Source : osu.edu