Introducing you to the Annual Bluegrass Weevil
Damage is occurring in many areas around the golf course. It can be seen in many fairways and in some collars around greens. While we typically will see some damage from severe heat during the summer this is not quite what we are dealing with here. This damaged spots in the turf are caused by an insect called the Annual Bluegrass Weevil. This insect has been a problem on Northeastern golf course for many years and has only recently become a problem this far south. The damaged areas will recover quickly after the effected areas have been treated with an insecticide.
It is important to remember that it has been a very hot summer so far this year, luckily the humidity and rainfall have not been out of control. The turf is receiving some stress from these conditions but keeping the carts on the paths in the afternoons is very helpful.
Below are a few pictures of the damage caused by the Annual Bluegrass Weevil :
Annual bluegrass weevil [Listronotus maculicollis] larvae and adults were first recovered in North Carolina from a golf course in the Asheville area in May of 2008. Adults were identified by D. Stephan of the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at North Carolina State University, a new record for the state. Formerly known as the Hyperodes weevil, the annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) is a pest of turfgrass in the northeastern United States and is most prevalent and injurious in low-cut, high maintenance turf such as golf course greens, tees and fairways. ABW larvae and adults feed primarily on annual bluegrass, often considered a weed by golf course superintendents since it is an aggressive invader of newly seeded stands of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris). ABW has an affinity for close-cut P. annua although; it will feed on perennial ryegrass and creeping bentgrass in those same close-cut habitats. As such, home lawns, athletic fields, and turf habitats other than golf courses and tennis courts are not affected, even though ABW and P. annua might be present.
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