by Clint Thompson

Two insect scouting schools, hosted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in June, will introduce new scouts to insect monitoring and serve as a review for experienced scouts and farmers.

One of the scouting schools will be held on Monday, June 11, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. The second school will be held on Tuesday, June 19, at the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center in Midville, Georgia. Both events will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This year’s scouting schools will cover insect pests in row crops like cotton, peanuts and soybeans. Attendees will learn identifying information about pests and the damage they inflict on crops, natural enemies, different scouting procedures, and safety in the field. The schools will conclude with an in-field review.

“Scouting remains our best defense against insect pests. If our growers can recognize certain insects and the damage they cause, they’ll be better prepared to make the appropriate treatments before it’s too late,” said Phillip Roberts, UGA Extension entomologist. “Scouting schools serve as great sources of this type of information for our growers.”

The event is free. For more information about the scouting school in Tifton, contact Debbie Rutland at 229-386-3424. For more information about the scouting school in Midville, contact Peyton Sapp at 706-554-2119.

(Clint Thompson is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences based in Tifton.)