Over the past day or so I have begun receiving reports of cereal rust mite in timothy hay fields in the southern portion of the state. Keep in mind that cereal rust mite can reduce yields from 30 to 70 percent. Also, it can result in discolored brown hay which reduces the visual quality of the hay, which in turn can make buyers reluctant to purchase your hay. Growers should be scouting timothy fields now for juvenile mites and eggs. Information about cereal rust mite and its control is available in a Rutgers Fact Sheet.
Bill Bamka
