Weevil Watch--Important, Hands-On Research

Over the past several years, the Annual Bluegrass Weevil has become one of the most troublesome turfgrass insects that golf courses in our region have to deal with.  One concern is that these little guys may be developing resistance to a type of insecticide, known as synthetic pyrethroids. 

This is similar to what we often hear from the medical community with resistant strains of bacterial infections, where commonly used antibiotics no longer effectively knock out the bugs.

Researchers from Rutgers are collecting over-wintering weevils from several golf courses to determine the extent of resistance that truly exists.  On Wednesday, two entomologists from Rutgers were on site to collect weevils from areas where we traditionally see damage.

This study is important because it provides real world information that can be used in planning how to best control this insect in the future. 

The back of #18 green.  Turf samples are placed in warm water in order to have the weevils float.