Annual bluegrass weevils (ABW) season is already off to a wild start with unseasonably warm temperatures heading into March, followed by Winter Storm Stella slamming the northeast with snow during the week of March 14. If the first few weeks are any indication, it is important to expect the unexpected when it comes to ABW. Make sure you are prepared with WeevilTrak™ from Syngenta.

For 2017, we are continuing to offer innovative tools through WeevilTrak, the leading ABW monitoring program. In addition to the Optimum Control Strategy, which outlines a proven ABW treatment protocol, the 2017 WeevilTrak program features the growing degree day (GDD) model, new golf courses serving as ABW research stations and real-time blog updates from researchers.

To expand our ABW monitoring, Kyle Wickings, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Soil Arthropod Ecology and Turfgrass Entomology at Cornell University, is joining the WeevilTrak team this season. He will be monitoring golf courses in central New York and contributing to the WeevilTrak blog throughout the season.

Every year, we review research from the WeevilTrak program to ensure we’re providing superintendents with the best recommendations for scouting properly and treating ABW populations. A recently published survey  confirmed WeevilTrak.com is the most popular means of monitoring ABW populations for superintendents. But, as we continue to learn about advancements in the management of ABW, WeevilTrak.com evolves too.

One of the newest features is the WeevilTrak GDD model, which calculates GDD data for superintendents based on zip code, and has been calibrated specifically to provide data for monitoring ABW development.

We’ve strategically placed GDD tracking devices on each of the WeevilTrak monitoring courses to measure ABW development based on heat accumulation. Research has shown that GDD’s can be a valuable tool for tracking ABW activity and that they effectively complement individual on-course scouting.

The blog, which is updated regularly by a team of researchers, is just one of several tools returning for 2017. Additionally, superintendents can continue to use CrowdTrak to contribute to real-time ABW monitoring. CrowdTrak allows registered WeevilTrak users to submit insights and photos from their own golf courses via a short and easy-to-use form.

WeevilTrak is only available for registered subscribers. Register now for a WeevilTrak account and sign up for email alerts by visiting WeevilTrak.com. Join WeevilTrak and ABW tracking conversations on Twitter using #WeevilTrak.

¹McGraw, B. A., & Koppenhofer, A. M. (2017). A Survey of Regional Trends in Annual Bluegrass Weevil Management on Golf Courses in Eastern North America. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 1–11.

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