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LANDSCAPE AND TURF MAINTENANCE www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation May/June 2015 31 creased? In most cases, the nature of the biological control cannot be enhanced. However, others, like the insect parasitic nematodes, become effective when massive numbers are reared and released. Many people do not understand the difference between a true biological control and a biobased product. As an example, most users of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products think they are using a biological control when, in fact, they are using a biobased pes- ticide. In short, the package usually contains dead bacteria and bacterial products. These bacterial products contain a protein toxin, called the delta-endotoxin, which, if ingested by a suscep- tible insect, eats a hole in the insect's gut. This lets secondary bac- teria seep into the body cavity, causing infection and death. If Bt was a true biological control, the Bt bacteria would grow within the insect, take over the body and kill it. If an insect ingests live Bt bacteria, the gut enzymes will kill and digest the bacterium, thereby releasing the toxins. Among the scientific community, biobased also includes tox- ins that can be derived from plants (botanical pesticides), and fungi. Using this definition, cedar oil, garlic extract, peppermint extract, pepper extracts, etc. are technically biobased, but none of these, by themselves or in combination, seem to have much effect on most turfgrass insect pests. I mention these because organic pesticide products are on the market that claim efficacy against turf and ornamental insects and mites. Since these two areas are not human health issues, EPA has turned a blind eye on request- ing efficacy data. When asked, the suppliers of these products are quick to provide all kinds of testimonials, but can't provide in- dependent testing results (preferably by a university-based turf researcher). Buyer beware. SYNTHETIC, NATURAL AND ORGANIC? Synthetic generally means that the pesticide is completely made using laboratory chemical methods. Natural simply means that the biological control or biobased chemicals are naturally occur- ring in nature. "Organic" means that the pesticide has passed the organic standards set by the USDA and the Organic Material Re- view Institute (OMRI). This can get confusing as you can have the same biobased insecticide being non-organic or organic depend- ing on the formulation. As an example, azadirachtins are chemi- cals extracted from the neem tree that have insect repellency and The target of any grub control material should be the tiny first instar. The second instar is relatively easy to kill, but the third instar is difficult to control even with the best of materials. Bluegrass billbug damage often is mistaken for summer drought or disease. If not controlled, these spots will eventually die. Bluegrass billbug larvae burrow down the seedhead stem to the crown. When they devour the crown, the plant will be killed. Billbugs have a complete life cycle with egg, larval, pupal and adult stages. The smaller larvae are easier to control targets.