Monitoring Stink Bugs, an Annual Pecan Pest

A green stink bug sits on the corner of an inshell pecan as it feeds.

by Ted E. Cottrell Western Front

Monitoring Stink Bugs, an Annual Pecan Pest

Stink bugs are serious, annual pests of pecan. Their feeding on developing nuts before shell hardening leads to “black pit” of the embryo and nut abortion. After the shell hardens, damaged nuts remain on the tree and are harvested. Stink bug feeding injury on nuts with hardened shells and mature kernels usually is indicated by...

by Ted E. Cottrell Native Timbre

Hickory Shuckworm: An Almost Season-long Pest of Pecan

Despite it being a major pest of pecan, the hickory shuckworm has had less research done on it in the U.S. over the last 20 years than other major pests, including the pecan weevil, aphids, pecan nut casebearer, and stink bugs. Bill Ree, a retired Texas A&M AgriLife IPM specialist, made a similar comment five...

A knifepoint reveals the density of obscure scale on a pecan tree.

by Ted E. Cottrell IPM Report

Obscure Scale: A Stealthy Pest of Pecan

A handful of pest species cause most economic injury to pecan year after year. Pests attacking the developing nut include the stink bug complex, pecan weevil, hickory shuckworm, and pecan nut casebearer, while the aphid complex and mites attack the foliage. Occasionally, other pest species may cause sporadic injury, but their activity is usually limited...

A polished lady beetle with no black markings sits on a light green leaf.

by Ted E. Cottrell Southeastern Shakings

Lady Beetles, Pecan Orchards, and Ground Covers

Pecan aphids have many natural enemies. Some are rarely seen and may not be recognized for the good they do against pecan aphids. Although important, these natural enemies will be saved to write about later. Instead, this article focuses on the well-known and commonly seen lady beetles whose striking colors cannot help but attract attention....

Two vibrant green leaves with brown and yellow spots from aphids.

by Ted E. Cottrell Western Front

Pecan Aphids, Part III: A Different Approach to Managing the Black Pecan Aphid

The first and second articles in this series on pecan aphids focused on the distribution of the three aphid species (blackmargined aphid, yellow pecan aphid, and black pecan aphid) on pecan foliage and their feeding biology. An emphasis was placed on how the black pecan aphid conditions foliage at feeding sites by eliciting chlorotic zones,...

A adult black pecan aphid and her nymphs sit on the yellow, chlorotic spot that they created on this once green pecan leaf.

by Ted E. Cottrell Western Front

Pecan Aphids, Part II: Feeding Biology

In the first of this three-part series on the pecan-feeding aphids (March 2019), I covered how different aphid species distribute on pecan foliage. At the end of that article, we questioned why nymphs of the blackmargined pecan aphid and yellow pecan aphid favor the underside of the pecan leaf, but a proportion of black pecan...

by Ted E. Cottrell Native Timbre

Pecan Aphids, Part I: Distribution on Pecan Leaves

This article is the first of a three-part series examining the pecan-feeding aphids, especially the black pecan aphid. This first part concerns the general biology of the pecan aphids and their distribution on pecan leaves. In the second part, the emphasis will shift to the black pecan aphid with a discussion of feeding biology, and...