# Bermudagrass stem maggot



## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

I just read about this last night. Had never heard of them. 
I have a patch of Bermuda that hadn't gotten sprayed yet, and so I sprayed it about a week after we got that 15 or so inches of rain. Hit it with not even quite a full rate of grazonnext. Didn't quite get finished, came back a few days later to finish and saw that the tips of the Bermuda we're frosted up to where I stopped spraying. This ground holds moisture really well, so i figure and still do figure that the grass really absorbed the chemical as to why tips were burnt. Also noticed some of the grass was beginning to blow over but it really wasn't tall enough to blow down. So, yesterday we are cutting that field and a hydraulic hose starts leaking on the windrower. Later when I get back to put hose on, I notice a bunch of small swarming flies. And I'm like WTH are those things. Really didn't pay much attention to them or inspect to see exactly what they were. Then last night not looking for anything I accidentally stumble on to the stem maggot. Now, before any red flags are flown or assumptions made I doubt thats what it is, be it that grass was frosted up to spray line. I am going back to look here shortly. Just seeing if anyone has Sen these things firsthand.


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Sooo after evaluation, to me, it appears that its probly going to be the stem maggot. Now, this is me doing my own evaluation, based on the description I have read on the internet. Little brown, gnat looking flies, top leaves are burnt looking and pull out with ease off plant. At the base of the leaves u can see where the maggot was in there and developed into a fly. Spoke with Dr Redmon at Texas A&M earlier and we discussed it. We are thinking that armyworm insecticide will take care of them and hopefully provide some residual. Not exactly the kind of publicity I Wud like to have but this is the first case he has heard of here in Texas. Yay me!! All u southern folks be on lookout for frost bitten looking grass. Once again this is nor confirmed by any specialist but its obvious.


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## fredro (May 12, 2012)

dont no where u at in ms we have army worms eat u out house and home over night 2 oz dimilion or tracer does a good job should have some residual also


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Yeah we have armyworms as well. There are a few out right now. I'm sure next cutting they will b bad. 
These flies get into the very upper portion of the grass , imbed themselves in the stem and it stops the grass from growing.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

What growing in that field? I looked at mine and haven't seen anything in the T-85, Common, or the one I planted this year with Comanche (Common & Giant). I hope you're wrong, but if not, please keep the nasty things down your way.


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Lol its gonna b all bermudas. As long as some armyworm medicine will get them I'm not overly concerned I think early detection is gonna be the key. More than likely once you begin to notice the yellowing it may be to late and you will have to cut. Maybe?? Not to sure yet, gonna have to gain some more experience. I'll try to keep folks up to date as to what I learn about them. Armyworms are easy to detect these maybe Not so much..


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## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

jdhayboy, what part of the country are u located? Did u find out any more info on the bermuda stem maggot? Im in southern middle TN and have noticed for about the last week that my bermuda is not growing like it should. Upon inspection it looks almost identical to what u describe above. An agronomist or field man is supposed to look at it tomorrow


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I had em in my field in tifton early August...I think the answer is to spray with pyrethroid and wait 12 days spray again with pyrethroid and dimillin, the dimillin doesn't do anything to the maggot, the pyrethroid kills it but it also kills beneficial insects that prey on army worms so if you don't spray with dimillin you'll be sure to have an invasion of army worms. Bermuda stem maggot is usually found on fine bladed grasses like Alicia or tift 44, have not seen it at all in t85. Good luck


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

One more thing they are fairly easy to detect, just look for the brown tips, if you notice a patch of them, they will quickly take over the field and they dramatically reduce yield, the plant basically quits growing at that point.....


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## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

Had an agronomist(sp) take a look this morning. Turns out my problem is army worms. I've looked for them several times but was never able to actually see any. I've seen how they strip the foliage before but these are " juvenile" armyworms. They are in a stage where they are only about 1/2-3/4 in long and can't eat the leaves. They suck the chlorophyll of instead.


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Yeah all they do is take lil patches green off the leaves


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

I did a real good job of knocking down my fly infestation by using a 2.5 oz an acre of lambda. Did 2 applications on some fields about 7-10 days apart. 
I tried do some observations on my own since little is still known about them. I was having a hard time detecting them in field without seeing an damage . And I was wanting to find them before I started seeing signs. I could go walk in a field and not really see too much activity. I expected to see them buzzing about. So at one point I just sat down in the field for about 5 minutes maybe mixing ten feet or so every few minutes. It was hot , I was sweating pretty good and got tired of it thinking maybe they are not so bad here. But what I found as I back tracked is that they were attracted to where I had been kneeling down in the grass , where the grass was laid over. I'm guessing because of my sweat and body just like any other fly is. They were swarming these areas like a group of gnats. Now ten minutes before that they were non-evident to me, and believe me I was looking.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ya I think you would have to be really diligent to catch them before you see the signs, at first sign you need to hit em with pyrethroid, unless it's real close to harvest like mine was, just gotta grin and bear it until cutting, then get em.


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