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Did Soybean Aphids Overwinter Here?

Now is the ideal time to scout for soybean aphid colonies on buckthorn. Buckthorn has sprouted its leaves, at least in the southern part of the province, which coincides with the hatching of soybean aphid eggs. It is easy to spot buckthorn right now, even from the road as it is the earliest bush to gets its leaves and are usually located within the first 2-3 meters of the woodlot edge.

We were out scouting some sites last week in southwestern Ontario but so far have not found aphids. This does not mean that they didn't overwinter here nor that they won't be a problem this year. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack. But we're not finished scouting all of our sites yet so we will keep looking and let you know if we find anything. So far Michigan and other states have not reported finding aphids with the exception of Ohio (Ron Hammond) who did manage to find one active aphid colony on buckthorn bush near Cleveland.

Figure 1. Two soybean aphid eggs laid next to the bud scales of buckthorn
(Photo courtesy of Iowa State University)