Pasture mealybug, a tiny white insect that feasts on grasses, has spread to 16 Florida counties. Agricultural experts from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) recently held an online workshop to discuss the issue.

Tracking the Florida Pasture Mealybug

The bug was first officially reported to state officials at the end of May, but experts believe it may have been present in Florida earlier. The insect targets sugarcane, weedy roadside grasses, and agricultural pasture grasses, including Bahia and Bermuda. While these grasses are also common in residential yards, experts have not found the bug in any residential turf in Florida yet.

According to Dr. Erin Powell, an FDACS scale insect taxonomist, "There are reports from Texas that it has attacked St. Augustine grass, so that is something that we’re keeping an eye out for." Pasture mealybugs can damage crops and lead to widespread die-offs of entire pastures or fields, threatening Florida’s cattle and sugarcane industries.

Pest Control Prevention Strategies

Experts are still trying to determine the best insecticides to use against the pests. Dr. Marcelo Wallau, a UF/IFAS forage extension specialist, stated, "We don’t know much about insecticide efficiencies, so we’re putting together a lot of trials to inform you better about insecticides to be used." Homeowners are advised to keep an eye on their lawn for symptoms like yellowing, reddening, or browning, but not to assume all brown grass is due to the pasture mealybug.

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.