Fifteen years ago, a tiny bug was first found in Wisconsin and spread across the nation’s major agricultural areas within three years.
The soybean aphid initially was documented in 2000, and the severity of damage varies widely depending on pressure and other variables present in the field, although yield losses ranging from 10 percent to 15 percent are not uncommon.
Intense rainfall and naturally occurring predators such as Asian lady beetle, lacewings and predatory bug can control aphids.
Various insecticides are available to control aphids, including the recently commercialized Transform WG from Dow AgroSciences.