Latest WeevilTrak tools from Syngenta USA provide advancements in annual bluegrass weevil management

As the 2018 annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) season begins, golf course superintendents can now turn to WeevilTrakSM, the ABW monitoring program from Syngenta, which has been updated with tools and resources to help manage this pest.

This year, WeevilTrak subscribers can sign up for text message alerts that will deliver timely updates about their local ABW activity.

“Our goal is to continue providing timely ABW scouting and treatment recommendations superintendents expect from WeevilTrak, while making the information easy for them to access,” said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager for Syngenta. “We know superintendents are busy and on-the-go, so we’re excited to be able to quickly deliver this critical information to them wherever they are.” 

The 2018 program also features updates to the online course map and new golf courses serving as ABW research stations, including:
•    Kings Creek Country Club, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
•    Country Club of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
•    Westfield Country Club, Westfield Center, Ohio
•    Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, Virginia
Other trusted tools available for 2018 are the:
•    WeevilTrak blog updated by nine industry-leading ABW researchers, featuring 118 blogs from the past three seasons
•    CrowdTrak observations from fellow superintendents
•    Growing degree day model to track heat accumulation
•    Optimum Control Strategy outlining a proven ABW treatment protocol
In 2017, WeevilTrak was voted the No. 1 scouting technique in an ABW study published by Ben McGraw and Albrecht Koppenhöfer1, preceding plant phenology. Additional results from the latest survey of WeevilTrak users2 showed:
•    99% strongly agree/agree they value receiving WeevilTrak email alerts
•    93% strongly agree/agree they time their first-generation ABW applications to WeevilTrak recommendations

“ABW is arguably the most troublesome insect for golf course superintendents in the Northeast, and it continues to cause damage in new locations,” said Steve McDonald, owner, Turfgrass Disease Solutions, and managing consultant for the WeevilTrak research team. “WeevilTrak gives researchers an outlet for sharing essential information about this pest. It also equips superintendents with important tools and carefully planned strategies to help control ABW all season.”

Valuable information through WeevilTrak is only available for subscribers. Register now and sign up for text alerts by visiting WeevilTrak.com. Join WeevilTrak and ABW tracking conversations on Twitter using #WeevilTrak.