New Pest in Sugarbeets This Spring

According to University of Minnesota Extension Entomologist Ian MacRae, sugarbeet farmers have a new pest to consider this spring. “We’ve seen a lot of aster leafhoppers in the last week,” said MacRae. “It has six little dots on its face so it’s sometimes called a six-spotted leafhopper. We’ve seen them in small grains in the past, but this year we’re also seeing them in sugarbeets. A lot of those beets are quite young so we’re seeing some seeding damage.” Aster leafhoppers can spread disease through a variety of crops so early detection is important.