In the Northern United States, the primary pest concern is grubs with fluctuating surface insect pressure. The opposite is true in the South where the primary concern is surface-feeding insects, but grubs are becoming an increasingly important issue.
At the Green Industry Expo in Charlotte, N.C., Montvale, N.J.-based Bayer Environmental Science and Philadelphia-based FMC announced that the Environmental Protection Agency approved registration of Allectus G.
Combining two insecticides – Bayer’s Merit and FMC’s Talstar – Allectus G is a product aimed at providing control of turf pests both above and below the surface.
“Customers asked us to develop a single-product solution to multiple pest problems – Allectus answers that request,” said Mike Ruizzo, business manager, neonicotinoids, Bayer Environmental Science.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bayer and FMC will co-develop and co-market the product. Allectus products will be available in granular, granular on fertilizer and suspected concentrate formulations for residential lawn care and golf courses (as Allectus GC) by spring of 2005. The granular form will be packaged in 50-pound bags and have an application rate that ranges from 50 to 125 pounds per acre, depending on the insects desired to control.
The companies report that one application of Allectus should provide eight to 12 weeks of residual control, meaning that two applications should provide season-long control. When used as indicated, the product is intended to provide 90 percent control of above and below ground insects, including white grubs and their larvae, billbug larvae, annual bluegrass weevil larvae, mole crickets, chinch bugs, cutworms, sod webworms, fire ants and more than 25 additional surface-feeding insects.
“In areas where both grubs and general insects are present, professionals typically need to perform separate applications,” said Jim Walter, commercial development manager with FMC Specialty Product Business. “Now, with Allectus, they can make just one application, saving time and labor costs.”
