by Clint Thompson 

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has scheduled two insect scouting schools for Georgia’s cotton, peanut and soybean farmers, both set for June.

The UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia, will host a scout school on Monday, June 10, and the Southeast Research and Education Center in Midville, Georgia, will host the second scout school on Tuesday, June 18. Both workshops are set for 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and serve as an introduction to insect monitoring for new scouts and a review for experienced scouts and farmers.

Attendees will learn basic information about how to identify pests and signs of pest damage, natural enemies, scouting procedures and safety in the field. The sessions will end with an in-field review.

“Insects are a problem every year, no matter what crop you’re talking about. The best line of defense remains scouting,” said Phillip Roberts, UGA Extension entomologist. “Hopefully, when the producers leave us, they will be better prepared to make the appropriate treatments before it’s too late.”

The events are free. For those wishing to attend the scout school in Tifton, contact Debbie Rutland at 229-386-3424. For more information about the scout 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.