Management of soybean aphids and twospotted spider mites in soybean: Scouting, thresholds, and insecticide/miticide considerations
by Robert Koch, Extension entomologist, and Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist Soybean aphid. Photo: Bob Koch Scouting of soybean for soybean aphids and twospotted spider mites should be underway. Some fields are approaching treatable (threshold) levels for soybean aphid. If drought conditions persist, spider mite outbreaks could occur in some areas. However, do not just assume you have significant infestations of either or both of these pests. This year, infestations of these pests are variable across the state, due to variable plant development and weather conditions. In addition, populations of both pests can change (increase or decrease) very rapidly. This is why scouting is particularly important. Below, we provide an overview of scouting and thresholds for these pests in soybean and a table listing the insecticides/miticides available for management of these pests, along with notes to help determine which products to use for each pest alone or in combination. Soybean aphids