Summary of Losses from Insect Damage and Costs of Control in Georgia/2004

Authors: University of Georgia Department of Entomology Special Committee on Insect Survey and Losses for 2004

Introduction

This publication summarizes the economic losses resulting from insect damage and cost of their control in 2004. The loss estimates are prepared by subcommittees of The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Department of Entomology Special Committee on Insect Surveys and Losses. The estimates of yield loss on units treated and untreated for a given insect pest can vary greatly between commodities. This reflects differences in pest populations pressure, efficacy of control, management practices, etc., and the loss is not always lower for the treated units.

Apiculture

Author: K. Delaplane

The number of managed bee hives in Georgia increased sharply from 52,000 to 63,000 between 2003 and 2004¹. This increase was a reaction to two successive years of increasing honey prices between 2001 and 2003. Beekeepers continued to sustain colony losses and control costs associated with chemical-resistant Varroa mites, antibiotic-resistant American foulbrood disease, and hive-scavenging small hive beetles. Beekeepers report locally high nuisance levels of small hive beetles in honey houses and stored equipment. A few operations sustain damaging levels of beetles in apiaries, especially queen mating yards. Queen performance, measured by egg output and longevity, continues to be a problem with many queens not surviving past six months.

A survey of beekeepers was done in 2004 to identify industry research priorities. The data are an indicator of the relative concern beekeepers assign the various pest problems facing them in 2004.

Top five research priorities as indicated by beekeepers from a list of 11 (lower 6 not shown) with 1 being the MOST important and 11 the least (smaller number = higher priority). Data are mean ± standard error.
antibiotic-resistant American Foulbrood	5.7 ± 0.4
breeding for pest-resistant honey bees	2.1 ± 0.3
queen supersedure/laying problems	4.6 ± 0.4
small hive beetles	3.8 ± 0.4
chemical-resistant varroa mites	3.3 ± 0.4

In 2004 the summed production of beekeepers with five or more hives was 3,087,000 pounds of honey, down from 3,380,000 in 2003. Production per hive (49 pounds) decreased sharply from 2003 levels (65 pounds). Declining prices further combined to decrease the value of the 2004 crop to $3,643,000 from $4,326,000 in 2003. In 2004, average price per pound fell to $1.18 from $1.28 in 2003.

Extension programs reached 162 people in local educational efforts aimed at honey bee parasite biology and control, optimum bee management, and public awareness of the value of bee pollinators. State- and region-oriented educational programs reached an additional 450 persons. The thirteenth annual Young Harris College/University of Georgia Beekeeping Institute drew around 100 participants. UGA research focused on small hive beetle biology and control and pollination of rabbiteye blueberry.

Apple Insects

Authors: D. Horton, E. Ayers, M..Wheeler and J. Dutcher

Georgia's 2004 apple crop was valued at $4,350,947 from 658 bearing acres. Gross returns averaged $6,612/acre. Control of San Jose scale, rosy apple aphid, plant bugs, leafminers, leafhoppers, codling moths, leafrollers and mites was good. Control of Oriental fruit moth continued to be inconsistent.

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Oriental fruit moth	$26,320	$91,370	$117,690
2	Codling moth	$39,480	$65,264	$104,744
3	Tufted bud moth	$28,623	$60,913	$89,536
4	San Jose scale	$12,831	$13,053	$25,884
5	Aphids	$19,839	$17,404	$37,243
6	Mites	$13,005	$20,710	$33,715
	Total	$140,098	$268,714	$408,812

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Apple Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Trees Needing Control	No. Trees Treated	No. of Applications	Avg. Cost Per Tree	Yield (Bu) Loss on Treated Trees	Yield Loss (Bu) on Untreated Trees
Oriental fruit moth	658	658	2	$40.00	2.1	0
Codling moth	658	658	3	$60.00	1.5	0
Tufted bud moth	658	658	2	$43.50	1.4	0
Aphids	658	658	1	$30.15	0.4	0
San Jose scale	658	658	1	$19.50	0.3	0
Mites	300	200	1	$43.35	0.6	1.0

Blackberry Insects

Author: D. Horton

Georgia's 2004 blackberry crop was valued at $3,408,000 from 313 bearing acres. A gross return of $10,888/acre. Flower thrips, mites, blackberry gall midge, and the sucking bug complex (plant and stink bug species) appear to be more important arthropod pests of this emerging crop. Understanding of these insect and mite pests, particularly in Georgia's lower coastal plain bramble production center is seriously lacking. Additional research is needed to better provide for this crop's IPM needs.

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Gall midge and flower thrips	$ 900	$44,430	$45,330
2	Mites	$1,320	$1,430	$2,750
3	Plant bugs & stink bugs	$60	$5,440	$5,500
	Total	$2,280	$51,300	$53,580

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Blueberry Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	Acres Needing Control	Acres Treated	No. of Applic.	Application Cost Per Acre	Yield ($) Loss on Treated Acre	Yield ($) Loss on Untreated Acre
Gall midge and flower thrips	63	50	1	$18.00	$21,780.00	$22,650.00
Mites	31	22	1	$60.00	$110.00	$3070.00
Plant bugs & stink bugs	16	13	1	$6.00	$2830.00	$2610.00

Blueberry Insects

Author: D. Horton

Georgia's 2004 blueberry crop was valued at $48,569,000 from 8,450 bearing acres. Emerging pests gall midge and flower thrips (pre-bloom and bloom), as well as the blueberry maggot (late season) are an under-researched concern. Our understanding of biology and controls for these pests under southeastern conditions is wanting. Higher losses were partially attributable to the 2004 crop=s abnormally high value.

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Pre-bloom/Bloom complex (gall midge and flower thrips)	$491,400	$62,400	$553,800
2	Blueberry maggot	$177,450	$0	$177,450
3	Cranberry fruit worm	$12,000	$40,000	$52,000
4	Defoliating caterpillars	$8,000	$40,000	$48,000
5	Fire ants	$5,000	$0	$5,000
6	Stem borers	$1,500	$2,000	$3,500
	Total	$695,350	$144,400	$839,750

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Blueberry Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	Acres Needing Control	Acres Treated	No. of Applications	Application Cost Per Acre	Yield ($) Loss on Treated Acre	Yield ($) Loss on Untreated Acre
Gall midge and flower thrip	4,648	3,718	1	$18.00	$57.00	$230.00
Cranberry fruit worm	1,690	1,000	1	$12.00	$28.00	-
Caterpillars	1,000	1,000	0	$10.00	$40.00	-
Fire ants and wasps	500	0	0	$0	$0	$40.00
Blueberry maggot	2,112	2,112	7	$12.00	$0	$177,450.00

Cotton Insects

Authors: P. Roberts and J. Ruberson

Approximately 1.26 million acres of cotton were harvested in Georgia during 2004. Although growing conditions were not ideal, growers had expectations of an above average crop until three hurricanes reduced yield prospects. Insect populations ranged from relatively light to heavy depending on location.

Thrips populations were moderate to heavy and at-plant insecticides typically performed well. Isolated reports of grasshoppers reducing plant stands were observed in a few reduced tillage fields. Spider mites were present at low numbers in many fields during June and July but populations rarely reached economic levels. Aphids built to moderate populations during June before crashing due to the naturally occurring fungus in late June and early July.

Tarnished plant bugs continued to be a minor pest in most areas, however high populations and economic damage were observed in some fields in the western side of the state. Beet armyworms were observed in sporadic fields during July. Fall armyworm was also a sporadic pest in southwest and east Georgia.

Tobacco budworm populations were light to moderate during June and July, except in southwest Georgia where sustained pressure occurred during most of July and August. Tobacco budworm infestations were heavy in west Georgia during August, especially on late planted cotton. Tobacco budworms were also more prominent than normal in east Georgia during August. Corn earworm populations were moderate and required treatment on a portion of Bt cotton acres. Sporadic populations of southern armyworm and soybean loopers occurred during August and September.

Stink bug populations were much lower compared with 2003. Stink bug populations were moderate during July but declined as the season progressed into August and September. However, most fields required treatment with insecticide.

Two boll weevils were captured in Georgia during 2004. A single boll weevil was caught in Appling County and a single boll weevil was captured in Wilcox County. Fields in the vicinity of each capture were intensively trapped but no additional boll weevils were captured.

Estimated Losses and Control Costs in 2004

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damagea	Total
1	Tobacco Budwormb	$22,090,000	$3,540,000	$25,630,000
2	Stink Bugs	$13,300,000	$6,549,000	$19,849,000
3	Corn Earwormb	$12,390,000	$5,752,500	$18,142,500
4	Thrips	$12,650,000	$660,800	$13,310,800
5	Boll Weevilc	$4,410,000	$0	$4,410,000
6	Plant Bugs	$957,000	$302,375	$1,259,375
7	Fall Armyworm	$643,500	$141,600	$785,100
8	Aphids	$560,000	$0	$560,000
9	Soybean Looper	$300,000	$0	$300,000
10	Beet Armyworm	$200,000	$6,230	$206,230
11	Spider Mites	$50,000	$0	$50,000
12	Grasshoppers	$42,000	$0	$42,000
13	Cutworms	$42,000	$0	$42,000
14	Whiteflies	$12,000	$0	$12,000
	Scouting/Consulting	$7,144,200		$7,144,200
	Total	$74,790,700	$16,952,505	$91,743,205

^aApproximate price received, $0.59/lb. Lint (cash price plus loan deficiency payment, USDA-AMS and USDA-FSA).

^bBt transgenic cotton costs based on $26.00 per acre technology fee on 1,020,000 acres. Seventy-five percent of total costs charged to tobacco budworm and 25 percent to corn earworm.

^cGrower Costs of Boll Weevil Eradication Program, $3.50 per acre.

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Cotton Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Acres Applic.	Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated	Yield Loss on Units Untreated2
Tobacco Budworm3	200,000	100,000	2.2	$10.00	1,500,000	4,500,000
Stink Bugs	1,050,000	950,000	2	$7.00	7,600,000	3,500,000
Corn Earworm3	500,000	450,000	1.6	$8.00	6,750,000	3,000,000
Thrips	1,200,000	1,150,000	1.1	$10.00	50,000	1,070,000
Boll Weevil4	0	0	0	$0.00	0	0
Plant Bugs	150,000	145,000	1.1	$6.00	362,500	150,000
Fall Armyworm	75,000	65,000	1.1	$9.00	78,000	162,000
Aphids	40,000	70,000	1	$8.00	0	0
Soybean Looper	35,000	30,000	1	$10.00	0	0
Beet Armyworm	20,000	20,000	1	$10.00	5,000	5,560
Spider Mites	5,000	5,000	1	$10.00	0	0
Grasshoppers	7,500	6,000	1	$7.00	0	0
Cutworms	6,000	6,000	1	$7.00	0	0
Whiteflies	1,000	1,000	1	$12.00	0	0

¹Includes application costs.

²Yield units measured in pounds of lint.

³Does not include costs of Bt transgenic cotton; foliar insecticides only.

⁴Grower costs of Boll Weevil Eradication Program (BWEP). All cotton produced in Georgia is required to participate in BWEP. The annual per acre assessment for participation was $3.50 per acre during 2004.

VI. Field Corn Insects

G. Buntin and J. All

Corn was harvested from 280,000 acres in 2004, which was a small decrease from 2003. However, yields averaged 130 bushels per acre, which was 1 bushel acre more than the previous year and a state record. The average price was $2.20 per bushel.

Soil insects as a group were the number one insect pest of field corn in Georgia. Historically about 25-30% of acreage was treated with a conventional at-planting insecticide for soil insect control. In 2004 the neonicotinoid seed treatment, Poncho 250, became available and was used on about 30% of the acreage, replacing some of the conventional at-planting insecticides. Poncho 250 cost about $5 - 6 per acre compared with $10 - 12 per acre for conventional treatments. Cutworms mostly black cutworm were numerous and caused damage in reduced tillage fields. Stink bugs populations were lower than in 2003 but some fields had damaged seedling plants and developing grain ears. Chinch bugs damage seedling stand and infested field during grain fill in some areas. Generally, corn earworm and fall armyworm numbers were low and mainly damaged late-planted corn. Cereal leaf beetle populations continue to increase in the coastal plain region. Cereal leaf beetles defoliate whorl-stage corn mostly along field edges, which rarely reduces grain yield.

Estimated Losses and Control Costs in 2004

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Soil insects1	$560,000	$400,000	$960,000
2	Stink bugs	101,000	480,000	581,000
3	Chinch bugs	45,000	160,000	205,000
4	Corn earworm	0	320,000	320,000
5	Cutworms	67,000	160,000	227,000
6	Fall armyworm	67,000	120,000	187,000
7	Cereal leaf beetle	50,000	0	50,000
	Total	$890,000	$1,640,000	$2,530,000

¹Includes wireworms, southern corn rootworm, western corn rootworm, lesser cornstalk borer, billbugs, sugarcane beetles and white grubs. Information Pertaining to Control of Major Field Corn Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Acres Applic.	Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated	Yield Loss on Units Untreated
Soil insects2	84,000	84,000	1	12.00	50,000	182,000
Stink bugs	34,000	17,000	1	6.00	44,000	175,000
Chinch bugs	11,000	6,000	1	7.00	15,000	58,000
Corn earworm	22,000	0	1	--	0	146,000
Cutworms	17,000	11,000	1	8.00	10,000	62,000
Fall armyworm	17,000	8,000	1	8.00	10,000	55,000
Cereal leaf beetle	9,000	9,000	1	5.00	0	0

¹Application cost not included; corn earworm control not feasible in field corn.

²Includes wireworms, southern corn rootworm, western corn rootworm, lesser cornstalk borer,

billbugs, sugarcane beetles, and white grubs.

Grain Sorghum Insects

D. Buntin and J. All

Grain sorghum was harvested from 25,000 acres in 2004, which was a 34% reduction from 2003. Yields averaged 47 bushels per acre with an average price of $2.02 per bushel. Near normal rainfall and low grain prices favored planting of other crops.

Chinch bugs continue to be the number one insect pest of grain sorghum in Georgia, but more normal rainfall levels reduced infestations. Swarming birds also eat grain especially along field margins and in smaller fields. Sorghum midge caused losses mainly in late-planted sorghum. Head worms, including corn earworm, sorghum webworm and fall armyworm, stink bugs in grain heads are managed together, but populations were moderate in 2004. Soil insects, mostly lesser cornstalk borer at planting, caused sporadic damage in some fields.

Estimated Losses and Control Costs in 2004

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Chinch bug	$10,000	$30,000	$ 40,000
2	Sorghum midge	13,000	12,000	25,000
3	Bird damage2	0	24,000	24,000
4	Head worms1 and stink bugs	6,000	5,000	11,000
5	Soil insects	3,000	7,000	10,000
	Total	$32,000	$78,000	$110,000

¹Includes corn earworm, sorghum webworm and fall armyworm Information Pertaining to Control of Major Grain Sorghum Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Acres Applic.	Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated	Yield Loss on Units Untreated
Chinch bugs	3,800	1,300	1	8.00	3,000	12,000
Sorghum midge	3,800	2,500	1	5.00	0	6,000
Bird damage2	2,500	0	B2	B2	0	12,000
Head worms and stink bugs	2,000	1,000	1	6.00	0	2,000
Soil insects	1,500	0	1	10.00	0	4,000

¹Application costs not included.

²Not legal to control birds with pesticides.

Grape Insects

D. Horton, J. All and J. Dutcher

Georgia=s 2004 grape crop was valued at $7,380,000 from 1,900 bearing acres*. Insect control was generally good. Pierce=s disease, Xylella fastidiosa, a significant cause of premature vine death, is vectored by leafhopper. Options for suppression of Pierce=s disease vector are limited.

_____________________________

• 2005 Georgia Farm Gate Fruit and Nuts Report. Boatright, S.R. and J.C. McKissick. 2005. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Special Report SR 05-04, July 2005.

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Grape root borer	$22,100	$92,472	$114,472
2	Japanese and June beetles	7,200	19,824	27,024
3	At-harvest nuisance pests	2,700	9,912	12,612
4	Grape curculio	2,700	2,250	4,950
	Total	$34,700	$124,485	$159,158

Information Pertaining to Control of Grape Insects in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. of Acres Needing Control	No. of Acres Treated	No. of Applic.	Average Application Cost Per Acre	Yield Loss ($) on Treated Acres	Yield Loss on Untreated Acres
Grape root borer	1,900	900	1	$17.00	$39.00	$155.00
Japanese and June beetles	600	600	1	12.00	39.00	117.00
At-harvest nuisance pests	300	300	1	9.00	5.00	30.00
Grape curculio	225	225	1	12.00	10.00	90.00

IX. Household and Structural Insects

D. Suiter and B. Forschler

Georgia is the second most populated state in the southeast. During the 1990s it was the fastest growing state east of Colorado and the sixth fastest growing state in the U.S. During the decade, Georgia=s population grew by 1.7 million (26.4% increase) to 8.2 million. The 20-county Atlanta metropolitan statistical area (MSA) grew by 1.1 million, accounting for 68% of the states growth. Half of Georgia=s residents currently live in the 20-county Atlanta MSA, and by 2010 the Atlanta area is projected to have grown by another 687,000. Urbanization often leads to problems directly associated with insects and other pests. A 2003 University of Georgia Survey Research Center poll of 500 Georgians found that:

T 26% of respondents had hired a pest control company in the past two years to treat for termites. The response was statistically independent of whether the respondent was a Georgia native or not, age, ethnicity, gender, and marital status, but was dependent upon education, income, whether the respondent lived in a MSA or not, and whether the respondent rented or owned their home.

T 36% of respondents had hired a pest control company in the past two years to treat for pests other than termites. The response was statistically independent of whether the respondent was a Georgia native or not, age, ethnicity, gender, income, and whether the respondent rented or owned their home, but was dependent upon marital status, education, and whether the respondent lived in a MSA or not.

Recent surveys have determined that a majority of the services provided by pest management firms are for the control and prevention of pests in residential areas. A nationwide survey indicated that over 18,000 pest management firms in the U.S. amass an estimated $5.65 billion in annual service revenues---75% of these revenues are from residential and commercial services. Because some pest species are a problem anywhere that food is manufactured, prepared, cooked, served, or stored, commercial businesses serviced by pest management firms often include restaurants, service stations, schools, daycares, hospitals, grocery stores, nursing homes, food processing and manufacturing plants, food storage facilities and warehouses, etc. Each year, over 1,000 pest management firms in Georgia serve the diverse needs of Georgia homeowners and businesses. In 2004, for instance, 1,187 pest management firms in Georgia employed 7,437 individuals (1,951 certified operators and 5,486 technicians), excluding secretaries and other office personnel; 107 new pest management firms were started in Georgia in 2004. The total dollar value (i.e., revenues and expenditures) associated with pests and their control and prevention comes from a wide variety of sources---not just service fees garnered by pest management firms. For instance, in addition to the service fees paid by Georgians to pest management firms to control and prevent pests of homes, homeowners also spend untold dollars to repair damage to homes caused by pests and to pay for expenses related to the treatment of medical conditions that are a direct result of bites, stings, or allergies caused by some pests found in and around the home. Fire ants, yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, and some stinging caterpillars and spiders are annually responsible for a number of human deaths, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Financial costs associated with these events are unknown, but probably significant. Furthermore, house dust mites and German cockroaches are common causes of asthma in inner city children. Cockroach allergies are reportedly the #1 reason for emergency room visits by inner city children. Many arthropods create real anxieties, known as entomophobias, in an unknown number of individuals. Some entomophobias are extreme, resulting in a mental state known as Delusory Parasitosis (DP), wherein delusions of insect infestation of the body dominate one=s thoughts and actions to the detriment of living a normal life. Cases involving DP sometimes require professional medical (e.g., for treatment of infected sores caused by excessive scratching, or in some cases self-mutilation, caused by the patient=s need to >remove the bugs= from the skin) and psychological care. The costs of both forms of care are unknown. Finally, many industries and businesses peripheral to the pest management industry (e.g., pesticide product manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, insurers, regulators, product distributors, etc.) add thousands of jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue for their U.S. and Georgia-based companies.

Non-Termite Pests. The most important group of non-termite pests in Georgia are the ants---Argentine ants (known to Georgians as >sugar ants=), fire ants, carpenter ants, and odorous house ants. In 2004, a nationwide survey of 492 pest control companies indicated that ant control was the second fastest growing segment of business. This was the first time since 2001 that ant control services were not the fastest growing segment of services offered. In the survey, 92% of companies offered ant control services (compared to 95% in 2003), more than any other type of service offered. Furthermore, in the same UGA Survey Research Center poll of 500 Georgians mentioned above, 33% of respondents had been troubled by an ant infestation in their home in the past two years. The response was statistically independent of whether the respondent was a Georgia native or not, age, gender, marital status, income, education, whether the respondent rented or owned their home, and whether the respondent lived in a MSA or not. The response was, however, dependent upon ethnicity.

Other pests important in Georgia include cockroaches (German, Asian, smokybrown, American), flys (houseflies, moth flys, fruit flys), biting and stinging pests (spiders, fleas, ticks, yellow jackets, hornets, bees, stinging caterpillars, mosquitoes), pantry and fabric pests (Indianmeal moths, cowpea weevils, drugstore and cigarette beetles, and carpet beetles), and various occasional invaders (millipedes, centipedes, crickets, camel crickets, ground beetles, pillbugs and sowbugs, and springtails). In the same national survey noted above, mosquito control services offered by pest management companies have experienced a three-year upswing---likely the result of a national onset of West Nile virus. In 2004, for example, 28% of companies surveyed offered a mosquito control service, compared to 23% in 2003. Furthermore, in 2004 39% of companies surveyed indicated that service revenue for control of medically important pests (mosquitoes, ticks, fire ants) had increased in comparison to revenues three years prior.

Wood-Destroying Organisms. Subterranean termites are the most economically important structural insect pest encountered by Georgia homeowners. In Georgia, subterranean termites account for tens of millions of dollars in pest control industry revenue and homeowner expenditures to repair termite-damaged homes. In the same national survey noted above, termite control services represented the #1 growth market for pest control companies in 2004; 76% of companies surveyed offer subterranean termite control services (compared to 62% in 2001). Almost 2/3 (62%) of companies that offer subterranean termite control services use both baits and liquid termiticides, while about 35% use only liquids and just 3% use only baits. Drywood termites are less important, and largely a regional pest along Georgia=s coastline and in south Georgia. Other, less important, wood-destroying insect pests encountered by the structural pest control industry include powderpost beetles, old house borers, carpenter ants, and carpenter bees. Wood-rotting fungi, associated with persistently wet wood, is responsible for unknown costs related to control and damage repair (i.e., mainly wood replacement). Collectively, though, drywood termites and all wood-infesting beetles likely account for a fraction of the economic impact of either subterranean termites or wood-rotting fungi.

The Formosan subterranean termite (FST) is a unique species of subterranean termite that deserves special mention because of its potential negative impact on Georgians. It is native to China, was accidentally introduced into the southern U.S. by maritime traffic over 50 years ago, and has since been found in nine southern states. From 1993 to 2004, 18 infestations have been identified in Georgia (see graph below). Five sites were found in 2004 alone. Additional, undiscovered sites certainly exist throughout the state. The FST is the most destructive termite pest in the U.S., and arguably the world. It can cause extensive structural damage. In extreme cases, damage can even be catastrophic. A homeowner in Marietta, GA sustained, by his own estimate, $200,000 in Formosan termite damage (see quote below); we can cite several other damage estimates of homes in Georgia in the $10,000-$70,000 range. Prior to hurricane Katrina, the FST was annually responsible for an estimated $100 million in damage to homes and businesses in the New Orleans area.

In the U.S., the Formosan termite is most commonly spread by movement of termite-infested railroad crossties. As railroad companies replace crossties, some of the used ones are sold and re-used to build retaining walls and other landscape features around homes and businesses. Some of the used crossties are infested with Formosan termites. The termites survive transport and become established in previously un-infested areas when the crossties are installed. Unfortunately, movement of termite-infested crossties into un-infested, growing communities will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

AIf you add in demolition associated costs to the costs of labor and replacement, I think $200,000 is a fair estimateY just to Aget back@ what was already there in a 1970s brick ranch. This has become a life-changing event@.

---This is a 2003 email quote from a Marietta, GA homeowner regarding out-of-pocket costs directly associated with a Formosan termite infestation of his home.

File:SurveyLoss04 img 1.jpg

Since 1993, 18 Formosan termite sites have been discovered in Georgia, including five in 2004.

Livestock and Poultry Insects

N. Hinkle

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Darkling beetles	$2,496,000	$7,330,000	$9,826,000
2	House flies	2,499,000	2,766,000	5,265,000
3	Horn flies	1,281,000	1,653,000	2,934,000
4	Stable flies	951,000	1,343,400	2,294,400
5	Northern fowl mites	344,000	1,246,000	1,590,000
6	Lice	339,500	409,100	748,600
7	Grubs and bots	275,900	147,100	423,000
8	Horse flies	40,000	149,000	189,000
	Total	$8,226,400	$15,043,600	$23,270,000

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs for Each Group of Livestock and Associated Pests in Georgia in 2004.

Insect	Control Cost	Damage	Total
eef Cattle
B Horn fly	$1,265,000	$1,597,000	$2,862,000
Lice	192,000	347,000	539,000
Stable fly	122,000	309,000	431,000
Grubs	107,000	61,000	168,000
Subtotal	$1,686,000	$2,314,000	$4,000,000
airy Cattle
D Horn fly	$ 16,000	$ 56,000	$ 72,000
Lice	26,000	54,000	80,000
Stable fly	97,000	959,000	1,056,000
Grubs	93,500	11,000	104,500
House fly	171,000	930,000	1,101,000
Subtotal	$403,500	$2,010,000	$2,413,500
orses
H Lice	$ 72,500	$ 8,100	$ 80,600
Stable fly	732,000	75,400	807,400
House fly	638,000	65,000	703,000
Horse fly	40,000	149,000	189,000
Bots	75,400	75,100	150,500
Subtotal	$1,557,900	$372,600	$1,930,500
oultry (Layers)
P Lice	$ 19,000	$ 0	$ 19,000
House fly	291,000	290,000	581,000
Darkling beetle	40,000	79,000	119,000
Mites	145,000	337,000	482,000
Subtotal	$495,000	$706,000	$1,201,000
oultry (Breeders)
P Lice	$ 30,000	$ 0	$ 30,000
House fly	399,000	580,000	979,000
Darkling beetle	34,000	202,000	236,000
Mites	199,000	909,000	1,108,000
Subtotal	$662,000	$1,691,000	$2,353,000
oultry (Broilers)
P House fly	$1,000,000	$ 901,000	1,901,000
Darkling beetle	$2,422,000	7,049,000	9,471,000
Subtotal	$3,422,000	$7,950,000	$11,372,000
Grand Total	$8,226,400	$15,043,600	$23,270,000

XI. Ornamental, Lawn and Turf Insects

R. Oetting, W. Hudson and K. Braman

The ornamentals, lawn, and turf section covers estimates for both the production and maintenance industries. The economic impact is inflated more by the maintenance industry than production industry. The use of pesticides by homeowners and professional pest control operators for control of pests around public areas (schools, industrial sites, hotels and motels, financial institutions, hospitals, municipal and private parks, shopping centers, higher education institutions, churches, cemeteries, golf courses) contribute to determining the costs of control and damage.

Ornamental production of floricultural crops is primarily under greenhouse culture and has spring and fall pest problems. Field production has been on a decline and there are only a few commercial field production operations left. There is a substantial amount of outdoor production of bedding plants near greenhouses as part of the overall production. Populations of whitefly, mealybug, and spider mites were moderate but generally manageable in 2004, as long as growers did not let things get out of hand. Leafminers were serious pests in those operations where this pest has become established, but many growers still do not have to contend with leafminer problems.

Approximately 24% of Georgia homeowners purchase lawn care and landscape maintenance services (Jordan et al., 1999) and the Atlanta Metro Area is consistently one of the largest lawn care markets in the United States. The number of landscape installation and maintenance firms in Georgia exceeded 2,300 and provided employment for over 42,000 individuals. The majority of these firms (63%) serviced at least 100 acres of lawns and landscapes, and it is estimated that all firms together serviced approximately 225,000 landscape acres.

In 2004, the major insect problems on woody ornamentals, both in home landscapes and commercial landscape maintenance, included various species of scale insects, mealybugs, mites, aphids, whiteflies, various caterpillars, foliage feeding beetles, borers, and lace bugs. No one pest seemed to cause more problems than might have been expected from past experience.

The turf industry in Georgia, including production, sales, installation and maintenance, is estimated to be worth over $1.6 billion annually. There are currently 445 golf courses in operation in the state, with more under construction or in planning. There are over 750 football fields, thousands of acres of turf on school grounds (public and private), and more than 25,000 acres of turf in parks. In total, there are almost 2 million acres of turf grass in the state. The Atlanta metro area has been the strongest housing market and largest lawn care market in the country. Continued demand for quality sod has fueled an expansion of the state=s sod production industry to over 38,000 acres, more than double the acreage in 1998. Although mole crickets are found only in the coastal plain region, they are so destructive and difficult to control that a significant proportion of the losses and control costs due to insects statewide are due to these pests. The damage done by mole crickets in well managed turf has been dropping over the last few seasons, as newer insecticides have become widely available. These materials are expensive but very effective and once mole crickets are controlled in a given area, they may take several seasons to build back up to destructive population levels. White grubs and billbugs in zoysiagrass production continue to cause significant losses, although white grubs are also more manageable with newer insecticides.

Private units considered in preparing the loss estimates for 2004.

Households	3,006,000
Floriculture (18.4 million ft2)	1,025
Nurseries (3,600 acres containers)	1,285
Nurseries (5,825 acres field)	1,800
Sod farms (38,000 acres)	100

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
Ornamentals
Scale insect & mealybugs	$30,500,000	$32,680,000	$63,180,000
Mites	24,750,000	22,300,000	47,050,000
Aphids	8,370,000	4,200,000	12,570,000
Whiteflies	7,550,000	5,895,000	13,445,000
Thrips	6,245,000	6,295,000	12,540,000
Caterpillars1	3,750,000	2,150,000	5,900,000
Slugs and snails	2,500,000	1,100,000	3,600,000

490,000
Miscellaneous3	5,165,000	2,625,000	7,790,000
Subtotal	$92,020,000	$80,320,000	$172,340,000
Lawns and Turf
Mole crickets	$ 11,855,000	$5,250,000	$17,105,000
Caterpillars4	3,600,000	6,300,000	9,900,000
White grubs	3,350,000	2,400,000	5,750,000
Chinch bugs	940,000	1,500,000	2,440,000
Spittle bugs	900,000	1,710,000	2,610,000
Miscellaneous5	2,835,000	2,835,000	5,670,000
Subtotal	$ 23,480,000	$19,995,000	$43,475,000
Grand Total	$115,500,000	$100,315,000	$215,815,000

¹Primarily bagworm, cutworms, corn earworms, loopers, azalea caterpillars, tent caterpillars, webworms, and leaf rollers.

²Primarily leaf beetles, Japanese weevils, Fuller Rose weevils, Japanese beetles, whitefringed beetles, and borers.

³Includes grasshoppers, fungus gnats, millipedes, sowbugs, psocids, springtails, ants, earwigs, and leafminers.

⁴Sodwebworms, armyworms, cutworms.

⁵Ants (fire ants are included in a separate report), billbugs, leafhoppers, bermudagrass mites and stunt mites.

Pasture and Forage Insects

W. Hudson, D. Buntin and W. Gardner

Acreages of forage and pasture crops have declined in recent years to about 1.3 million acres of grass pastures and over 700,000 acres of grass hay pastures in 2004. Although losses per acre generally are low and treatment thresholds are large, this extensive acreage produces large combined losses for forage and pasture insects in Georgia. Losses are greater for hay than pastures because hay crops have greater yield potential and market value.

The number one pest of perennial grass forages, primarily bermudagrass, was mole crickets. Mole crickets damaged grass pastures in southern Georgia, especially in the Flatwoods region, sometimes requiring replanting. Mole cricket damage has declined in some fields in counties where the parasitic nematode Steinernema scapterisci has been released. The white grub complex, mostly Phyllophaga spp., Cyclocephala sp. and Green June beetle larvae, caused damage in some fields. Green June beetle larvae were particularly damaging to fescue pastures in northern Georgia. Fall armyworm, 2-lined spittlebug, and leafhoppers/planthoppers caused damage in some fields.

Alfalfa acreage in Georgia was about 30,000 acres in 2004. The alfalfa weevil was the number one pest of alfalfa with many fields being treated to control this insect.

Estimated Losses and Control Costs in 2004

	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
Rank RASS AY PASTURES
G 1	H ole crickets	$ 0	$3,750,000	$3,750,000
2	M hite grubs	400,000	840,000	1,240,000
3	W all armyworm	40,000	42,000	82,000
4	F -lined spittlebug	35,000	53,700	88,700
5	2 eafhoppers/planthoppers	0	30,000	30,000
	L Subtotal	$475,000	$4,715,700	$5,190,700
RASS ASTURES
G 1	P ole crickets	$ 0	$2,062,500	$2,062,500
2	M hite grubs	750,000	473,000	1,223,000
3	W all armyworm	250,000	82,500	332,500
4	F -lines spittlebug	84,000	47,000	131,000
5	2 eafhoppers/planthoppers	70,000	33,000	103,000
	L Subtotal	$1,154,000	$2,698,000	$3,852,000
LFALFA
A 1	lfalfa weevil	$ 98,000	$ 249,000	$ 347,000
2	A otato leafhopper	0	36,000	36,000
	P Subtotal	$ 98,000	$ 285,000	$ 383,000
	Total	$1,727,000	$7,698,700	$9,425,700

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Pasture and Forage Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004.

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Acres Applic.	Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Ton Loss on Units Treated	Tons Loss on Units Untreated
GRASS HAY PASTURES
Mole crickets	150,000			N/A	0	62,500
White grubs	60,000	40,000	1	10.00	4,000	10,000
Fall armyworm	10,000	4,000	1	10.00	100	600
Spittlebug	10,000	5,000	1	7.00	62	833
Leafhoppers/ planthoppers	4,000	0	0	N/A		500
GRASS PASTURES
Mole crickets	150,000	0		12.00	0	37,500
White grubs	100,000	75,000	1	10.00	3,000	5,600
Fall armyworm	50,000	25,000	1	10.00	250	1,250
Spittlebug	24,000	12,000	1	7.00	186	769
Hoppers	20,000	10,000	1	7.00	100	500
ALFALFA HAY
Alfalfa weevil	15,000	14,000	1	7.00	1,120	800
Potato leafhopper	1,500	0	0	N/A	0	300

NOTE: Hay crops consisted of 600,000 acres of grasses (hybrid bermudagrass 75%; tall fescue 20%; and other grasses 5%), with an average yield of 2.5 tons per acre. Alfalfa acreage was 30,000 acres with an average yield of 3.5 tons per acre. Grass and clover hay were valued at $60 per ton and alfalfa hay was worth $130 per ton. Permanent pasture consisted of 500,000 acres of bahiagrass and 800,000 acres of fescue, fescue/clover mixtures and fescue/common bermudagrass. Average yield was estimated at 1.0 ton per acre with a value of $55 per ton. An additional 400,000 acres of temporary pasture (mostly small grains and sorghum) was grazed. There was 150,000 acres of sorghum, and millet silage was harvested. Silage and temporary pasture crops were included as pasture grasses.

¹ Application cost not included.

Peach Insects

D. Horton, J. Dutcher, UGA, Entomology and

T. Cottrell, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS SE Fruit & Tree Nut Laboratory

Georgia=s 2004 peach crop was valued at $36,307,471 from 17,109 bearing acres*. Peach insect IPM is in a difficult, transitional state, as growers and IPM practitioners adapt to the long-term impacts of using safer, but less effective, materials. Control of fruit attacking insects was acceptable. Lesser peachtree borer (LPTB) injury continued to escalate. LPTB has established itself as a key cause of premature tree mortality in many southeastern orchards. Peachtree borer (PTB) injury has also become more prominent.

Escalating LPTB injury prompted greater overall insecticide use. In the late 1990s growers began gradually reducing insecticide use during periods of lower plum curculio pressure. Many accepted modestly increased risks from occasionally flawed control of fruit pests to reduce costs and enhance margins of safety for laborers engaged in necessary hand thinning of fruit. The advent of widespread LPTB injury in GA and SC forced a return to more insecticide-intensive approaches. The IPM mind set of reduced spraying was pushed aside to optimize in-season suppression of LPTB via rigorous cover spray programs. Rising insecticide costs encouraged greater utilization of pyrethroids. These materials provided slight improvement in control of stink bugs and oriental fruit moth. As with all classes, the pyrethroids have their weaknesses. They are marginal plum curculio materials, and their use exacerbates mite and scale problems.

Phosmet remains the key in-season peach insecticide. Azinphos methyl, little used for many years in southeastern peach IPM, surfaced as a tool for achieving greater in-season suppression of LPTB. Typical programs applied the organophosphates phosmet four to seven times and azinphos methyl once. These key sprays were augmented by up to three pyrethroid applications, and occasional as-needed pre-harvest sprays primarily with carbaryl. An in-season peach label is needed for a low-risk insecticide which at least suppresses LPTB while providing good broad spectrum efficacy. More specific needs include an in-season label for diflubenzuron to improve grasshopper control, and a broad-spectrum, low-risk insecticide for application just before harvest for control of green June beetles and other at-harvest opportunists.

Scale control provided by annual dormant oil(s) was consistently good to excellent. In blocks with severe, problematic scale infestations, the low-risk IGR pyriproxyfen (Knack or Esteem) provided very effective, but expensive, triage control. Mites, which had traditionally been almost inconsequential in southeastern peach production, have escalated in importance. By 2004 mite infestations required treatment in a few blocks every year.

In 2004 LPTB continued to infest progressively younger orchards. PTB infestations are also increasing, though at a much slower rate. Life-of-the-orchard loss projections for LPTB are in the 20 to 30% range. Modest, but helpful, levels of LPTB control are seen where growers are making 1 or 2 additional post-harvest chlorpyrifos applications (GA 24C label). Mating disruption research shows encouraging evidence of reduced LPTB infestations by the second year of implementation, though the pheromone rate requirement in southeastern peaches for heavily infested orchards is up to 4x the rates used in the upper Mid-West. LPTB mating disruption simultaneously provides excellent PTB control.

________________________________

• Georgia Farm Gate Value Report. Boatright, S. and J. McKissick. 2005. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Area Report, AR-04-01, 2005. Estimated of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Fruit attacking pests	$1,911,650	$425,000	$2,336,650
2	Lesser peachtree borer	160,000	1,750,000	1,910,000
3	Scale	300,000	400,000	700,000
4	Peachtree borer	160,000	400,000	560,000
5	Leafhoppers	0	199,600	199,600
	Total	$2,531,650	$3,174,600	$5,706,250

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Peach Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Applic.	Application Cost Per Acre	Yield Loss ($) on Treated Acres	Yield Loss on Untreated Acres
Fruit attacking pests (plant & stink bugs, plum curculio, oriental fruit moth)	17,000	17,000	9	$112.45	$25.00	0
Lesser peachtree borer	20,000	10,000	2	16.00	75.00	100.00
Scale	20,000	20,000	1.5	15.00	20.00	0
Peachtree Borers	20,000	20,000	1	8.00	20.00	0

Peanut Insects

S. Brown

In 2004, peanut yields averaged 3000 lbs/A on 610,000 harvested acres. Total production was 1.83 billion pounds down 2% from 1.863 billion pounds in 2003. Prices received by farmers averaged $0.19 up 1.6% from $0.187 in 2003.

Good summer rainfall resulted in good yields for the second year in a row. However, heavy thrips pressure resulted in increased spotted wilt loses compared to 2003, and yields failed to compete with the record from the previous year. Foliage feeding caterpillars continued to be a sporadic but serious problem requiring more sprays than usual. Pyrethroid failures on velvetbean caterpillar occurred in numerous fields in Seminole, Early and Miller counties. Granulate cutworms were also difficult to control with pyrethroids except at the highest labeled rates. Leafhoppers and three-cornered alfalfa hoppers also continued their trend to increase in prominence as a pest of peanut. Soil insects were generally light except for sporadic problems with southern corn rootworm on the heavier soils in western Georgia.

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Lesser cornstalk borer	$1,200,000	$285,000	$1,485,000
2	Spider mites	70,000	570,000	640,000
3	Thrips	5,225,000	1,187,500	6,412,500
4	3-cornered alfalfa hoppers	62,500	1,092,500	1,155,000
5	Leafhopper	100,000	959,500	1,059,500
6	Wireworms	1,000,000	2,232,500	3,232,500
7	Velvetbean caterpillar	600,000	992,750	1,592,750
8	Foliage feeder complex	360,000	95,000	455,000
9	Southern corn rootworm	600,000	760,000	1,360,000
	Total	$9,217,500	$8,174,750	$17,392,250

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Peanut Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004.

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Units Treated	No. of Unit Applic.	Avg. Cost per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated2 (Avg/A)	Yield Loss on Units Untreated2 (Avg/A)
Lesser cornstalk borer	40,000	60,000	1.0	20.00	0	2,000,000 (175)
Thrips3	480,000	550,000	1.0	9.50	0	6,250,000 (250)
3-cornered alfalfa hoppers	60,000	10,000	1.0	6.25	250,000	5,500,000 (150)
Spider mites	10,000	5,000	1.0	14.00	500,000 (100)	2,500,000 (500)
Leafhopper	40,000	20,000	1.0	5.00	800,000 (40)	4,250,000 (80)
Velvetbean caterpillar	80,000	120,000	1.0	5.00	2,600,000	2,625,000 (200)
Wireworms	80,000	50,000	1.0	20.00	750,000 (30)	11,000,000 (300)
Foliage feeder complex*	40,000	60,000	1.5	6.00	0	500,000 (100)
Southern corn rootworm	40,000	30,000	1.0	20.00	1,500,000	2,500,000

¹Includes application costs.

²Yield units measured in pounds.

³Losses due to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) are not included.

• BAW, FAW, etc.

Pecan Insects

W. Hudson and J. Dutcher

Georgia=s pecan production was 40 million pounds in 2004. Very dry spring weather followed by regular rains in the summer produced a crop that was better and cleaner than the previous year. Two hurricanes and a tropical storm in September reduced yield by 25-50%, but also affected other states in the pecan growing region. The net result was a smaller crop but significantly higher prices. Overall value of the crop was $69.2 million, virtually the same as 2003.

Losses to pecan pests were similar to 2003, mostly due to higher prices for the nuts. Summer rains helped suppress aphid populations for most of the season, reducing costs. Hickory shuckworm and pecan nut casebearer were controlled very effectively, and newer products were available at lower prices, reducing costs there as well. Mite problems were up some over previous years, but late-season weather made fall treatments unnecessary for most growers.

Estimate of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	nsect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	I ecan weevil	$4,050,000	$ 5,130,810	$9,180,810
2	P lack pecan aphids	1,500,000	3,733,020	5,233,020
3	B ellow aphids1,2	799,800	191,487	991,287
4	Y ickory shuckworm	650,000	1,093,360	1,743,360
5	H ites3	960,000	439,000	1,399,000
6	M ecan nut casebearer	422,500	244,968	667,468
7	P pittlebugs	133,300	31,760	165,060
8	S Kernel feeding emipterans	225,000	344,600	569,600
9	h thers4	300,000	223,500	523,500
	O Total	$9,040,600	$11,432,505	$20,473,105

¹AYellow aphids@ include the yellow pecan aphid and the blackmargined aphid.

²The cost of control of yellow aphids includes $60 per acre for application of aldicarb or imidacloprid on 20,000

acres and $10 per acre for foliar sprays on 105,000 acres.

³AMites@ refers primarily to the pecan leaf scorch mite.

⁴AOthers@ include the pecan bud moth, casebearers, leaf miners, fall webworm, phylloxeras, walnut caterpillar,

boring insects, Prionus spp., hickory nut curculio, and hickory shoot curculio. Information Pertaining to Control of Major Pecan Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004.

Insect	No. Units Needing Control	No. Units Treated	No. of Unit Applic.1	Avg. Cost Per Units Treated	Yield Loss on Units Treated2	Yield Loss on Units Untreated3
Pecan weevil	113,000	90,000	3.0	$15.00	544,320	2,434,860
Black pecan aphids	125,000	100,000	1.5	10.00	1,566,000	601,560
Hickory Shuckworm	75,000	50,000	2.0	6.50	108,000	233,280
Yellow pecan aphids4	25,000	40,000	1.5	13.33	59,620	51,570
Mites5	30,000	40,000	1.5	16.00	199,800	54,000
Pecan nut casebearer	50,000	65,000	1.0	6.50	141,600	0
Spittlebugs	15,000	10,000	1.0	13.33	0	18,360
Kernel feeding hemipterans6	30,000	25,000	1.0	9.00	142,200	57,000
Others7	30,000	25,000	1.0	12.00	52,800	76,400

¹Some applications control more than one pest and the number of applications indicated were not made in all

orchards.

²Excluding application costs.

³Yield units measured in pounds.

⁴AYellow aphids@ include the yellow pecan aphid and the blackmargined aphid.

⁵AMites@ refers to primarily to the pecan leaf scorch mite.

⁶Akernel feeding hemipteran@ include the southern green stink bug, the brown stink bug, the leaffooted bug and

others

⁷AOthers@ include the pecan bud moth, pecan leaf casebearer, leaf miners, fall webworm, walnut caterpillar,

phylloxeras, boring insects, Prionus spp., hickory nut curculio, and hickory shoot curculio.

Public Health and Recreational Area Insects

E. Gray

In 2004, mosquitoes continued to be the most important and expensive public health insects to control. Mosquito control and surveillance continues to receive more emphasis as a result of continued WNV awareness. However, funding at the state=s 12 largest programs has stabilized, while funding for smaller mosquito control programs continues to increase gradually. Surveillance for all types of mosquito borne encephalitis has been greatly expanded and the Georgia Department of Human Resources continues to provide leadership in this area. In 2004, there were 22 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus with no deaths. Mosquito surveillance data continues to indicate that the Southern House mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus appears to be our primary vector of WNV in Georgia. This species prefers to breed in polluted waters contaminated with organic matter and is often found in the storm drains in cities and towns. Heavy rains from an active hurricane season likely suppressed these populations by flushing the storm drain systems on a regular basis in late August and most of September when peak WNV transmission usually occurs.

In general, mosquito numbers were normal throughout most of the season. Heavy rains from several hurricanes affected populations at the end of the summer. Floodwater species like the Shaggy-Legged Gallinipper, Psorophora ciliata, were more common, particularly in the lower portions of the state, and inspired many questions about this large and sometimes aggressive species. Fortunately though, no cases of cases of eastern equine encephalitis or St. Louis encephalitis were reported. An area of concern is with LaCrosse encephalitis. Five cases were reported and there are indications that Aedes albopictus is becoming more involved in transmission of this particularly serious childhood illness. Imported malaria continues to be relatively common with 61 cases being reported.

Houseflies also continue to be significant pests with the primary concerns being garbage management and exclusion aspects. Ticks, primarily lone star ticks, American dog ticks and blacklegged ticks were present in many sections of the state. Their bite and their ability to serve as vectors of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) made them important public health arthropods. There were 13 cases of Lyme disease in 2004, up from 10 cases in 2003 and the 5 cases in 2002. One case was reported in 2001 and none in 2000. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever continues to be the most common tick borne disease in the state with 73 cases reported in 2004 and 65 cases reported in 2003. This figure represents an increase from the 20 cases in 2002, 9 cases in 2001 and 19 cases in 2000. (Data on vector borne disease provided by the Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Branch, Georgia Department of Human Resources).

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control
1	Mosquitoes	$125,240,156
2	Flies (non-biting)	49,685,499
3	Others1	23,710,528
4	Ticks and Chiggers	11,893,095
5	Headlice	6,534,552
6	Yellow Jackets	4,610,831
	Total	$221,674,661

Summary of Insect Control and Losses Estimates

Insect	Item	Cost
Flies	window screens screened doors aerosol sprays garbage removal garbage dumpsters garbage cans fly swatters	$ 5,907,127 13,126,948 10,501,558 16,408,685 164,087 1,640,869 1,936,225
	Subtotal	$49,685,499
Mosquitoes	window screens screened doors aerosol sprays repellents abatement programs heartworm prevention & treatment hospitalization doctor fees druggist fees	$ 5,907,127 13,126,948 10,501,558 11,486,080 8,829,806 74,290,000 244,000 815,720 38,917
	Subtotal	$125,240,156
Other	window screens screened doors aerosol sprays repellents doctor fees druggist fees	$ 2,215,173 4,922,606 3,938,084 11,486,080 984,510 164,085
	Subtotal	$23,710,528
Head Lice	doctor fees druggist fees	$2,658,123 3,876,429
	Subtotal	$6,534,552
Ticks and Chiggers	repellents doctor fees druggist fees hospitalization acaracides (residential) acaracides (organizations)	$9,845,211 34,400 8,600 344,000 1,640,884 20,000
	Subtotal	$11,893,095
Yellow Jackets	window screens screened doors aerosol sprays doctor fees druggist fees	$738,391 1,640,869 1,312,695 787,608 131,268
	Subtotal	$4,610,831
	TOTAL	$221,674,661

Cost of Control Estimates

Mosquitoes - 40%, Flies - 40%, Eye gnats - 5%

Yellow Jackets - 5%, Others^1,2 - 10%

1. Window screens - 10 screens/residence

x $12.00/screen = $120/residence

x 3,281,737³ residences = 393,810,000.

20 year life/screen = $19,690,422/year

x 75% who have window screens $14,767,817

2. Screened doors - 2 screened doors/residence

x $100/screened door = $200/residence

x 3,281,737 residences = 656,347,400.

15 year life span/screened door = 43,756,493/

year x 75% who have screened doors $32,817,370

3. Aerosol sprays - 2-15 oz. aerosol insecticide

spray can/residence. $4/can x 2 can x 3,281,737

residences = 26,253,846 $26,253,896

Subtotal $73,839,083

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Mosquitoes - 35%, Ticks and Chiggers - 30%,

Eye gnats - 25%, Others¹ - 10%

4. Repellents - 2-15 oz. aerosol spray can/residence.

$5/can x 2 x 3,281,737 residences = $32,817,370 $32,817,370

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Mosquitoes - 100%

5. Mosquito Abatement Program

(a) Twelve major programs (Bibb, Camden, Chatham,

Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Dougherty, Fulton

Glynn, Liberty, Muscogee and Richmond Counties) $5,897,070

(b) About 128 county/city programs @ approximately $22,912/

program $2,932,736 6. Doctor fees - 61 imported malaria cases

$400⁵/case x 61 cases = $24,000 $24,000

7. Hospitalization - $4,000⁵/case x 61 cases = $244,000 $244,000

8. Druggist Fees - $100⁵/case x 61 = $6,100 $6,100

8a. West Nile Encephalitis - average inpatient medical costs⁷ =

$17,219/case x 22 cases = $378,818 $378,818

8b. LaCrosse Encephalitis - average impatient medical costs⁸ =

$48,000/case x 5 cases = $240,000 $240,000

8c. Heartworm prevention in pets $60,000,000

8d. Treating pets with heartworm $14,290,000

Subtotal $84,013,124

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Flies - 100%

9. Garbage removal - $50/residence/year x 3,281,737

residences = $164,090,000 x 10% (portion attributed

to insect control) = $15,000,000/year $16,408,685

10. Garbage disposal units (dumpsters - county, commercial

and industrial) - $500/unit; 1 unit/100 residences.

32,817 units x $500 x 10% (portion attributed to

insect control) = $1,640,869. 10 year life span/

unit = $164,087 $164,087

11. Garbage cans (residential) - 2/residence = $15/can x 2

x 3,000,000 residences = $98,452,110 x 10% (portion

attributed to insect control) = $9,845,211. 6 year

life span/can = $1,640,869 $1,640,869

12. Fly swatters - 1 fly swatter/residence $0.59/fly swatter

x 1 x 3,000,000 residences = $1,770,000 $1,936,225

Subtotal $20,149,866

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Ticks and Chiggers - 100%

13. Acaracides (residential) - of 3,281,767 residences,

estimated 5% purchase $10.00 acaracide for

tick control in yards $1,640,884

14. Acaracides (public and private organizations) $20,000

15. Doctor fees - 73 RMSF cases and 13 Lyme case

$400⁵/case x 86 cases = $34,400 $34,400

16. Hospitalization - $4,000⁵/case x 86 cases

= $344,000 $344,000 17. Druggist fees - $100⁶/case x 86 cases = $8,600 $8,600

Subtotal $2,047,884

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Yellow jackets - 40%, Others¹ - 49%, Eye gnats - 1%,

Mosquitoes - 10%

18. Doctor fees (bites and stings) 1 visit/100

residences at $60/visit = 32,817 residences

x $60/visit = $1,969,020 $1,969,020

19. Druggist fees - 1 visit/100 residences at

$10/visit = 32,817 residences x $10 = $328,170 $328,170

Subtotal $2,297,190

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Head lice - 100%

20. Doctor fees - 3% of 1,476,735⁶ school children

in ages 5-17 = 44,302 x $60/visit = $2,658,123 $2,658,123

21. Druggist fees - pediculicides for head lice -

$17.50/pediculicide x 1,476,735⁶ school

children in ages 5-17 15% estimated

infestation = $3,876,429 $3,876,429

Subtotal $6,534,552

¹"Others include eye gnats, spiders, biting flies, bees and other stinging insects (other than yellow jackets).

²Estimated percent importance insect has to control.

³Estimate of number households, Georgia 2000 Information System, UGA.

⁴Based on survey for mosquito control programs by Cooperative Extension Service 2005.

⁵Based on New York State Department of Health report of over $4,000 hospital cost/care of Lyme disease

reported by CDC, Lyme Disease Surveillance, Volume 4, Number 2, March 1993.

⁶Based on 2000 Georgia County Guide, Cooperative Extension Service

⁷CDC National WNV Conference 2003

⁸Public Health Confronts the Mosquito: Developing Sustainable State and Local Mosquito Control Programs, A

Project of the Association of State and Local Territorial Health Officials, 2005.

Small Grain Insects

D. Buntin and J. All

Winter small grain crops in Georgia include wheat, rye, oats and barley. Planted acreage of wheat was 330,000 but harvested acreage was 190,000 in 2004, which was a 17% reduction from 2003. Yields averaged 46 bushels per acre with an average price of $3.45 per bushel. A total of 250,000 acres of rye and 90,000 acres of oats were planted. Rye was harvested for grain from 25,000 acres with an average yield of 24 bushels per acre and a price of $4.00 per bushel. Oats were harvested for grain from 25,000 acres with an average yield of 55 bushels per acre and a price of $1.70 per bushel. Barley acreage is very limited in Georgia.

The 2003/2004 growing season was cool and wet. Rain at harvest time reduces the amount and quality of harvested grain. Cost estimates and damage are mostly for the wheat crop. Hessian fly caused losses in some susceptible varieties in southern Georgia. Warm weather in the fall and early winter promoted large aphid infestations, which caused transmission of barley yellow dwarf virus in some fields. Cereal leaf beetle populations continue to spread and increase in severity in the upper coastal plain region. Hessian fly is not a problem on rye or oats, and rye is not severely affected by barley yellow dwarf. Some fields were treated for stink bugs to prevent movement of these insects to adjacent crops. However, stink bug numbers almost always are too low to cause significant direct damage to wheat. A large outbreak of true armyworm occurred in spring of 2001, but armyworm numbers were low in 2004.

Estimated Losses and Control Costs in 2004

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Aphids	$114,000	$362,000	$ 476,000
2	Hessian fly	53,000	181,000	234,000
3	Cereal leaf beetle	95,000	151,000	246,000
4	Stink bugs	24,000	0	24,000
	Total	$309,000	$884,000	$1,193,000

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Small Grain Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. Acres Applic.	Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated	Yield Loss on Units Untreated
Aphids	38,000	19,000	1	6.00	17,000	105,000
Hessian fly	15,000	8,000	1	10.00	0	52,000
Cereal leaf beetle	29,000	19,000	1	5.00		44,000
Stink bug	0	4,000	1	6.00		0

¹ Application cost not included.

Soybean Insects

R.M. McPherson

Soybeans were harvested from 180,000 acres in 2003, up 40,000 acres from the previous year. Georgia=s average yield in 2003 was a state record high of 33 bushels per acre, up 11.1 bushels from the 2002 production. Soybean prices were up, averaging 7.25 per bushel, making the value of the crop $43.1 million, up $26.7 million from the 2002 production.*

Stink bugs (primarily southern green, but also some brown, green and other species) were the number one pest in Georgia soybeans in 2003. Heaviest infestations were in the southeastern and southern parts of the state. Total losses due to this pest were over $1.8 million in 2003, up over $700,000 from 2002. Control was good at most locations, but treatments were applied late, or not at all, in some fields that were heavily infested late in the season.

Velvetbean caterpillar losses were up some in 2003, costing growers over $1.1 million, making this the number two pest. Caterpillar populations were later than usual and thus damage was not as severe as expected. Insecticide control was very good for this pest.

Soybean looper populations, and the resulting losses, continued to be low in 2003. Total loss due to this pest was almost $0.5 million, mostly due to cost of controls. Corn earworm losses were also relatively low in 2003, totaling $115,000, up slightly from the 2002 loss estimates.

All other insect pests accounted for $284,000 in losses in 2003. Most of these losses were due to lesser corn stalk borers, threecornered alfafa hoppers, whiteflies, beet armyworms, leaf beetles, Mexican been beetle (in Northern Georgia), and Japanese beetles (north Georgia). Most of these pests were in localized or isolated areas. About $180,000 of the estimated loss to other insect pests was due to preplant applications of Lorsban for lesser corn stalk borer control, and most of this cost was not needed because of low pest populations due to moist growing conditions.

Soybean aphids were detected in Union County, Georgia in 2002, and in Union and Hall

Counties in 2003. Although this invasive soybean pest (from China) is causing serious damage and control problems in some midwestern states, populations on soybeans in northern Georgia have been low and no losses have been reported to date. Estimates of Losses and Control Costs for Soybean Insect pests in 2004

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Stink bugs1	$1,949,000	$518,000	$2,467,000
2	Velvetbean caterpillar	837,000	243,000	1,080,000
3	Soybean looper	374,000	122,000	496,000
4	Other2	69,000	44,000	113,000
5	Corn earworm	71,000	22,000	93,000
	Total	$3,300,000	$949,000	$4,249,000

¹Includes the southern green, green and brown stink bugs.

²Others include threecornered alfalfa hoppers, whiteflies, beet armyworms, leaf beetles, and

Mexican bean beetles.

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Soybean Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Acre Appl.	Ave. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated2	Yield Loss on Units Untreated2
Stink bugs3	162,000	148,500	1.25	$10.50	50,639	41,850
Velvetbean caterpillar	121,500	108,000	1.0	7.75	10,044	33,480
Soybean looper	54,000	32,400	1.1	10.50	3,013	18,833
Other4	10,800	8,100	1.0	8.50	1,256	6,696
Corn earworm	9,450	8,100	1.0	8.75	828	3,139

¹Includes application costs.

²Yield units measured in bushels.

³Includes the southern green, green and brown stink bugs.

⁴Others include threecornered alfalfa hoppers, whiteflies, beet armyworms, leaf beetles, and

Mexican bean beetles. XIX. Strawberry Insects

D. Horton

Georgia=s 2004 strawberry crop was valued at $3,915,000 from 258 acres*. Mites were the most significant arthropod pests. Controls for insects and mites were generally good.

__________________________________

• 2005 Georgia Farm Gate Fruit and Nuts Report. Boatright, S.R. and J.C. McKissick. 2005. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Special Report, SR 05-04, July 2005.

Estimates of Losses and Control Costs

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Mites	$11,240	$22,480	$33,720
2	Caterpillars, plant & stink bugs	3,000	9,000	12,000
	Total	$14,240	$31,480	$45,720

Information Pertaining to Control of Strawberry Insects in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No. of Acres Needing Control	No. of Acres Treated	No. of Applic.	Application Cost Per Acre	Yield Loss on Treated Acres	Yield Loss on Untreated Acres
Mites	129	97	1	$80.00	$152.00	607
Caterpillars. plant & stink bugs	129	150	1	40.00	60.00	0

Tobacco Insects

Author: R.M. McPherson

Tobacco was harvested from 24,000 acres in 2004, down 5000 acres from 2003 figures. Georgia=s average yield was 1950 pounds per acre. The average price received in 2004 was $185.00 per cwt, making the value of the crop $86.6 million.

The tobacco budworm was the number one insect pest on flue-cured tobacco in Georgia, with total losses exceeding $1.7 million due to control costs and damage. This was down some from 2003, when this pest caused over $2.0 million in losses. More of the losses in 2004 were due to damage rather than to costs of control.

Tobacco hornworms were the second ranked insect pest in 2004, costing producers nearly $0.9 million. Thrips were the third most economically damaging pest, costing Georgia producers over $0.8 million. All of these reported losses were due to control costs. However, over $17.3 million were reported lost due to tomato spotted wilt virus, a disease that is vectored by certain thrips species (from 2004 Georgia Research-Extension Report).

Wireworms and mole crickets were the fourth and fifth most damaging tobacco pests, totaling nearly $0.7 and $0.4 million, respectively. All other pests accounted for $156,000 in losses in 2004. These other pests were primarily splitworms, aphids, flea beetles, stink bugs, armyworms, cutworms, whitefringed beetles, and grasshoppers.

Estimate of Losses and Control Costs for Tobacco Insect pests in 2004.

Rank	Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
1	Tobacco budworms	$825,000	$974,000	$1,799,000
2	Tobacco hornworms	$186,000	$693,000	$879,000
3	Thrips	$866,000	$01	$866,000
4	Wireworms	$430,000	$260,000	$690,000
5	Mole crickets	$154,000	$216,000	$370,000
6	Other pests2	$69,000	$87,000	$156,000
	Total	$2,530,000	$2,230,000	$4,760,000
1Does not include losses due to spotted wilt virus ($17.37 million in 2004). 2Others include splitworms, aphids, flea beetles, stink bugs, grasshoppers, cutworms, armyworms, and whitefringed beetles.

Information Pertaining to Control of Major Tobacco Insect Pests in Georgia in 2004

Insect	No.Acres Needing Control	No. Acres Treated	No. of Acre Appl.	Ave. Cost Per Unit Treated1	Yield Loss on Units Treated2	Yield Loss on Units Untreated2
Tobacco budworms	21,600	22,800	3.0	$12.50	526,000	0
Thrips	22,800	22,800	1.25	$30.38	0	0
Tobacco hornworms	16,800	15,600	1.0	$11.90	304,200	70,200
Wireworms	14,400	14,400	1.0	$28.00	140,400	0
Mole crickets	6,000	4,800	1.0	$32.00	46,800	70,200
Others3	4,800	4,800	1.0	$12.00	46,800	0
1Includes application costs. 2Field units measured in pounds. 3Others include splitworms, aphids, flea beetles, stink bugs, cutworms, armyworms, whitefringed beetles, and grasshoppers.

Vegetable Insects

Author: A. Sparks

Estimates in this report are provided for only those vegetable crops with an estimated acreage in Georgia of more than 1,000 acres, thus, these values represent a conservative estimate for the total industry. These major vegetable crops were planted on a estimated 184,300 acres, with a total value in excess of $ 465 million. The estimated insecticide costs and losses due to insects exceeded $ 56.5 million, or approximately 12 % of the total value of these crops. This is also a conservative estimate as it does not include costs associated with insecticide application or costs associated with non-insecticidal controls, such as use of reflective mulches.

Insect pest management in vegetables in Georgia is very dynamic because of the diversity of crops and multiple, overlapping growing seasons for many of these crops. Pest pressure and management requirements in a single crop with distinct spring and fall seasons can vary greatly between seasons as well as with location within the state. The estimates reported have been adjusted to reflect seasonal distribution of specific crops, differences in pest pressure between seasons, and estimated costs of the most common insecticides used for specific pests. Thus, for a pest that requires treatment on 100% of the fall acreage on a crop with only 10% of the acreage in the fall, a total of 0.1 applications is shown. Specific insecticide cost estimates varied from $4.50 to $5 per acre per application for pyrethroid insecticides to $60 per acre for Admire and some acaricides. Estimated yield losses include direct losses, losses associated with lack of marketability (aesthetic damage), and losses associated with diseases specifically vectored by insects (mostly viruses which would not occur without the insect vectors). Overall, these costs and loss estimates are not intended to reflect specific crop production in a given season, but reflect overall impact for the 2004 calendar year.

Approximately 40 % of the estimated losses in 2004 were contributed to viral diseases vectored by insects. Further, this value does not include the potential impact of recently discovered viruses in onions as some debate still exists as to the actual cause of the problems that have occurred in the onion crop the last two years. As in the past, the majority of direct insect losses were largely attributed to Lepidopteran insects including defoliators in cole crops, fruit feeders in beans and fruiting vegetables, the caterpillar complex in sweet corn, and pickleworm in cucurbit vegetables. Of note in 2004, spider mites were a severe pest in a variety of crops, with cucurbit vegetables experiencing extreme pest pressure in mid-summer. Whiteflies populations were also heavy in late summer.

Estimated acreage, average yields and total value of the top commercial vegetable crops in Georgia, 2004.

Crop		Acreage Planted	Yield per Acre (units)	Total Value of Yield
1	Onions	16,000	650 (40# box)	$85,540,000
2	Tomato	6,000	1300 (25# carton)	$84,825,000
3	Sweet Corn	28,000	321 (42# crate)	$46,628,000
4	Squash	12,000	383 (30# :-bu.)	$33,321,000
5	Watermelons	30,000	265 (cwt)	$30,475,000
6	Bell Pepper	4,000	1100 (28# 11/9-bu.)	$30,030,000
7	Cabbage	12,000	500 (50# box)	27,500,000
8	Snap Beans	20,000	176 (30# bu.)	$25,133,000
9	Cucumbers	15,000	254 (55# box)	$23,114,000
10	Collard Greens	8,500	350 (25# box)	$15,019,000
11	Cantaloupe	7,200	210 (cwt)	$13,860,000
12	Eggplant	1,300	1600 (33# 11/9-bu.)	13,440,000
13	Turnip Greens	7,500	340 (25# box)	$11,212,000
14	Southern Peas	6,000	110 (25# box)	$7,656,000
15	Carrols	1,800	625 (48# master)	$6,000,000
16	Mustard Greens	4,000	315 (25# box)	$5,482,000
17	Lima Beans	3,500	110 (30# bu.)	$3,848,000
18	Kale	1,500	360 (25# box)	$2,308,000
Total		184,300		$465,391,000

Estimates of Insect Control Costs and Losses for Georgia Vegetables, 2004.

Insect	Insecticide Costs1	Yield Losses	Total Losses
Lima beans (1.5 insecticide applications per season) [6 % yield loss]
Pod feeders (Leps, stink bugs) (1.25)	$21,875	$120,880	$142,755
Soil insects (0.25)	4,375	110,000	114,375
Crop totals	$26,250	$230,880	$257,130
Snap Beans (2.25 insecticide applications per season) [7 % yield loss]
Whitefly (0.75)	412,500	1,005,320	1,417,820
Pod feeders (1.0)	110,000	502,660	612,660
Thrips (0.5)	45,000	251,330	296,330
ECB Program (0.25)	25,000	(<0.05%)	25,000
Crop totals	$592,500	$1,759,310	$2,351,810
Cabbage (7.6 insecticide applications per season) [8 % yield loss]
Leps. (DBM, loopers)(6.5)	975,000	1,787,500	2,762,500
Whitefly (0.75)	135,000	206,250	341,250
Aphids (0.25)	13,500	68,750	82,250
Seedcorn maggot (0.1)	6,000	27,500	33,500
Crop totals	$1,129,500	$2,090,000	$3,219,500
Collard greens (7.1 insecticide applications per season) [9 % yield loss]
Leps. (DBM, loopers) (6.0)	637,500	1,088,877	1,726,377
Whitefly (0.45)	47,812	150,190	198,002
Aphids (0.5)	19,125	75,095	94,220
Grasshoppers (0.1)	3,800	37,548	41,348
Yellow-margined leaf beetle (0.05)	1,900	(<0.05%)	1,900
Crop totals	$710,137	$1,351,710	$2,061,847
Mustard greens (3.65 insecticide applications per season) [4 % yield loss]
Leps. (DBM, loopers) (3.5)	175,000	109,640	284,640
Aphids (0.5)	9,000	82,230	91,230
Grasshoppers (0.1)	1,800	27,410	29,210
Yellow-margined leaf beetle (0.05)	900	(<0.05)	900
Crop totals	$186,700	$219,280	$405,980
Turnip greens (3.65 insecticide applications per season) [5 % yield loss]
Leps. (DBM, loopers) (3.5)	328,125	336,360	664,485
Aphids (0.5)	16,875	168,180	185,055
Grasshoppers (0.1)	3,375	56,060	59,435
Yellow-margined leaf beetle (0.05)	1,688	(<0.05%)	1,688
Crop totals	$350,063	$560,600	$910,663
Kale (4.75 insecticide applications per season) [9 % yield loss]
Leps. (DBM, loopers, etc.) (3.5)	65,625	167,330	232,955
Aphids (0.5)	3,375	11,540	14,915
Whitefly (0.25)	4,688	23,080	27,768
Leaf & flea beetles (0.5)	3,375	5,770	9,145
Crop totals	$77,063	$207,720	$284,783
Carrots (1.2 insecticide applications per season) [3 % yield loss]
Soil insects (1.0)	33,750	180,000	213,750
Leps. & aphids (0.2)	1,800	(<0.05)	1,800
Crop totals	$35,550	$180,000	$215,550
Sweet corn (16 insecticide applications per season) [6 % yield loss]
CEW/FAW/ECB (16) (include ECB Program)	2,016,000	2,797,680	4,813,680
Crop totals	$2,016,000	$2,797,680	$4,813,680
Cucumbers (3.9 insecticide applications per season) [9.5 % yield loss]
Pickleworm, melonworm (3)	202,500	1,155,700	1,358,200
Whitefly (0.4)	217,500	1,040,130	1,257,630
Cucumber beetles (0.5)	33,750	115,570	149,320
Crop totals	$453,750	$2,311,400	$2,765,150
Cantaloupe (3.85 insecticide application per season) [7.25 % yield loss]
Pickleworm (2.5)	81,000	277,200	358,200
Cucumber beetles (1.0)	32,400	34,650	67,050
Crop totals	$113,400	$311,850	$425,250
Watermelons (1.65 insecticide application per season) [6.75 % yield loss]
Spider mites (0.4)	240,000	1,523,750	1,763,750
>Rindworms= (0.5)	67,500	304,750	372,250
Cucumber beetles (0.25)	33,750	152,375	186,125
Aphids (0.25)	33,750	76,188	109,938
Crop totals	$375,000	$2,057,063	$2,432,063
Squash (6.25 insecticide applications per season) [21.25 % yield loss]
Aphids/mosaic viruses (2)	132,000	3,998,520*	4,130,520
Whitefly (2)	292,440	1,999,260	2,291,700
Pickleworm, melonworm (2)	108,000	833,025	941,025
Cucumber beetles (0.25)	13,500	166,605	180,105
Spider mites (0.1)	28,000	83,302	111,302
* Losses associated with transmission of mosaic viruses in late spring and fall crops.
Crop totals	$573,940	$7,080,712	$7,654,652
Eggplant (9 insecticide applications per season) [7.5 % yield loss]
Plant bugs (3.0)	17,550	537,600	555,100
Spider mites (3.5)	136,500	268,800	405,300
Leps. (BAW, CEW) (1.0)	11,050	100,800	111,850
Thrips (0.5)	3,250	67,200	70,450
Aphids (1.0)	5,850	33,600	39,450
Crop totals	$174,200	$1,008,000	$1,182,200
Onions (2.5 insecticide applications per season) [1.5 % yield loss]
Thrips (2)	144,000	1,069,250*	1,213,250
Numbers in () after each crop or pest indicate the estimated average number of insecticide applications on that crop or for the specific pest. These estimates are adjusted for differences in pest pressure in fall and spring crops and estimated acreage of each crop in the fall and spring. Thus, estimates are not intended to reflect specific crop production in a given season, but reflect overall impact for 2004. Similarly, numbers in [] reflect overall estimated yield losses adjusted for spring and fall pest pressure and acreage. 1Values represent estimated costs of insecticides only. Values are adjusted for estimated costs of the most commonly used insecticides and rates for the specific pests, which range from $4.50 per acre to $60.00 per acre. Application costs are not included as these costs can be shared with fungicide applications and multiple insecticides can be applied in a single application. Thus, these values represent a conservative estimate of insect control costs.

Insect	Cost of Control	Damage	Total
Beetles2	1,650,000	2,700,000	4,350,000
Lace bugs	1,140,000	285,000	1,425,000
Spittle bugs	400,000	90,000	46,628,000

Acknowledgments

Many people other than the members of The University of Georgia Department of Entomology Special Committee on Insect Surveys and Losses have contributed significantly in this publication. Committee members had considerable aid from representatives of agribusiness, the United States Department of Agriculture, research and extension workers in other states, and County Extension Coordinators and Agents of The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, the Committee thanks them all. We sincerely thank Ms. Detsy Bridges and Terry All in the Entomology Unit in Athens for their assistance in compiling, typing, proofreading and preparing the web version of this report.

Committee Members

Co-Chairs: Paul Guillebeau, Phillip Roberts & Nancy Hinkle

Subcommittee	Subcommittee Chair & Members
Apiculture	K. Delaplane, (chair)
Apple	D. Horton (chair), J. Dutcher
Blackberry	D. Horton (chair)
Blueberry	D. Horton (chair)
Cotton	P. Roberts (chair), J. Ruberson
Field Corn	D. Buntin (chair), J. All
Fire Ants	D. Suiter (chair), W. Gardner, K. Ross
Grain Sorghum	D. Buntin (chair), J. All
Grape	D. Horton (chair), J. All, J. Dutcher
Household & Structural	D. Suiter (chair), B. Forschler
Livestock & Poultry	N. Hinkle (chair)
Ornamental, Lawn & Turf	R. Oetting (chair), W. Hudson, K. Braman
Pasture & Forage	W. Hudson (chair), D. Buntin, W. Gardner
Peach	D. Horton (chair), J. Dutcher
Peanut	S. Brown (chair)
Pecan	W. Hudson (chair), J. Dutcher
Public Health & Recreational Area	E. Gray (chair)
Small Grain	D. Buntin (chair), J. All
Soybean	B. McPherson (chair), J. All
Strawberry	D. Horton (chair)
Tobacco	B. McPherson (chair)
Vegetables	A. Sparks (chair), D. Riley