Annual Bluegrass Weevils

Diagnosis and Decision Making for Sustainable Annual Bluegrass Weevil Management 3 Soapy flushes Soap flushing is a productive way to assess insect activity in soil and thatch. A dilute solution of lemon- scented soap acts as an irritant, flushing insects to the surface where they can be identified and counted. The procedure is inexpensive, but can be time consuming. Compared with other methods, soap flushing is somewhat limited in the amount of ground that can be covered. Soapy flushes are most effective when done above 10°C and effort should be made to conduct them at a similar temperature each time to improve the consistency of results. Materials (Figure 2) • Lemon-scented dish soap (2 tablespoons) • Bucket • Water (2 gallons) • Flags for marking (3’ x 3’ area) Method (Figure 3) • Mix soap into water and stir. • Flag 3’ x 3’ areas where flushes will be conducted. • Spread the water evenly across the sampling area to fully saturate soil. • Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. • Carefully scan surface of turf for insect activity. • Repeating the flush 5 minutes after the first will improve effectiveness. Figure 1. Direction of movement of ABW out of overwintering areas in early spring towards fairways. Figure 2. Supplies needed for conducting a soapy flush for ABW adults. Figure 3. Soapy flush procedure.