Guide to Managing Sugarcane Pests in Florida

• •Sugarcane borer infestations can reduce sugar yield by 45% in affected plants.
• •Sugarcane borer females lay 200 to 300 eggs in clusters of 25 to 30.
• •The sugarcane borer life cycle includes four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
• •Sugarcane borer adults are nocturnal moths with a one-inch wingspan.
• •Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for sugarcane borers includes scouting, biological agents, resistant plant varieties, and insecticides.
• •Lesser cornstalk borer larvae are 3/4 to 1 inch long when fully grown.
• •The life cycle of the lesser cornstalk borer ranges from 38 to 65 days.
• •Lesser cornstalk borer damage is most common in young plants during warm, dry periods.
• •Carbofuran (Furadan 4F) is an approved insecticide for controlling the lesser cornstalk borer.
• •Commercial pheromone traps can be used to monitor lesser cornstalk borer population levels.

Local sugarcane farmers face potential yield losses of up to 45% in sugar production due to borer infestations, which this guide helps mitigate through integrated pest management strategies.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.