Tales of Cotton Insects: May 11, 2026

Stand robbers have been the theme of reports from the last few days. The primary culprit has been grasshoppers, but a few cutworms are in the mix as well. I hesitated to put out much information last week due to all the rains and people not being able to get in the field anyway. But after today’s feedback, grasshoppers are still a concern. Many folks in west central Alabama made applications just prior to the storms that blew through Wednesday. Unfortunately, most reports are that those applications didn’t seem to knock populations back much. This was not totally unexpected, especially in the areas that received 3+ inches of rain in that time period. When spraying bare ground, wash off is likely an even bigger problem than in crop and on cotton leaves.

Our recommendation is still to run 0.67 lbs of acephate for knockdown of adult and immature grasshoppers. For any cotton that does not currently have an established stand, I would also consider 2 oz of Dimilin for the residual suppression of still emerging immatures. Grasshoppers will likely continue emerging for a few more weeks.

Dimilin can also help with cutworms which have been identified in a few fields over the last couple weeks. To scout for cutworms, count the number of cut and undamaged plants in 50 feet of row at multiple locations in a field. A pocketknife or something similar can be used to dig up larvae from the soil around damaged or adjacent plants to confirm their presence. Treatment decisions are made based on achieving an acceptable stand. Some say to consider treatment if 5% or more of plants have been freshly cut.  Infestations may be spotty within a field and only require treatment where damage and live cutworms are found.

Both grasshoppers and cutworms are easy to control. The problem is that pyrethroids are great on cutworms but poor on grasshoppers. In most instances, I would choose acephate and live with the level of control I get on cutworms vs a tank-mixture of the two. Dimilin should provide good control of smaller cutworms but may not control larger ones as well.

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.