CANYON COUNTY, Idaho—The degree day calculator (hosted by the Integrated Plant Protection Center at Oregon State University) for the sugarbeet root maggot fly shows that—depending on your location in the Treasure Valley—we have accumulated 262 degree days since March 1, 2014.
Peak flight of root maggot flies should occur after 360 accumulated degree days when the maximum high temperature exceeds 80 degrees F. In the Treasure Valley this will be about May 6. Root maggot flies will lay eggs near sugarbeet plants.
After the larvae hatch they will begin feeding on the young sugarbeets. AMSCO representatives have not seen any adult flies yet. Look for these pests to appear in the western end of the Treasure Valley first.
If you haven’t applied a treatment for sugarbeet root maggot, now is the time to do so. Consult your field representative from AMSCO for treatment options.