Doug Johnson and Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologists.
Some folks have been asking about cutting soybeans to be baled and used for forage. In general most insects in soybean are not a problem. However, blister beetles can be. Blister beetles are commonly found in soybeans thought not in large numbers. In my plots this year the black margined blister beetle has been the most common, though others will occur.
This insect and its close relatives the ash gray and striped blister beetles are infamous as a contaminant of alfalfa hay for their effect on animals, particularly horses. They are found in soybean for the same reason as alfalfa, they are attracted to and feed on blooming weeds.
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| Margined blister beete on soybean. |
This insect and its close relatives the ash gray and striped blister beetles are infamous as a contaminant of alfalfa hay for their effect on animals, particularly horses. They are found in soybean for the same reason as alfalfa, they are attracted to and feed on blooming weeds.
