Lygus: Scouting, thresholds and timing

Lygus bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts and physically damage the plant by puncturing the tissue and sucking plant juices. They puncture seed pods and feed on the developing seeds causing them to turn brown and shrivel.

Scouting

Scout lygus at late flowering and podding stages using a standard insect sweep net of 38 cm (15″) diameter. Take ten 180° sweeps, and aim to sweep the flowers and pods while moving forward. Count the number of lygus in the net.

Please read the Canola Watch Fundamentals article on lygus for update details on scouting, timing and thresholds.