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Mint Root Borer in the
Pacific Northwest
K.S. Pike, C.R. Baird, and R. E. Berry.
Washington State University Extension Service, Pullman.
PNW 322
1988
Introduction
Mint root borer, Fumibotys fumalis (Guenee), is one of the most serious insect
pests of commercial peppermint in the Pacific Northwest. It attacks crops in the major
peppermint areas of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, except central Oregon.
Injury to peppermint occurs as larvae bore and feed in mint rhizomes, generally between
mid - July and late October. The damage severely weakens mint, making plants more
susceptible to winter injury. In western
Oregon, damaged plants are more susceptible to injury caused by flaming in the fall to
control verticillium wilt and in the spring to control mint rust. Infested fields show
reduced vigor and poor regrowth in the spring; declining yields and shortened stand life
follow.
Description
The adult mint root borer is a light brown pyralid moth with distinctive line markings on
the wing . Its wing span is 3/4 inch. Eggs are flattened and oval in shape, 1/15 to 1/16
inch in length and generally light colored. They darken just before hatching. The mature
larva, which may be found in the rhizome or the soil, is dirty white in color, 1/2 to 3/4
inch in length, with 3 pair of legs and a brown head capsule. The pupal stage is encased
in a silk - lined soil case called a hibernaculum, which resembles a small teardrop -
shaped soil clod, 3/4 inch in length.
Life Cycle
The life cycle of the mint root borer appears on the facing page. The insect overwinters
as a diapausing prepupa within the hibernaculum. Hibernacula are located within the upper
inch of soil, and are frequently attached to root hairs or rhizomes. Peak emergence of
adult moths occurs in late July, but some moths emerge as early as mid - June and as late
as mid - August. Adults live 7 to 10 days, during which time they mate and females deposit
eggs in rows of 3 to 7 on the upper surface of leaves.
Eggs hatch into larvae in about 10 days. New larvae feed for 2 to 4 days on the leaves,
then drop to the soil to feed on and in mint rhizomes. Feeding lasts 2 to 3 months, and
may extend into late October in western Oregon or early November in other production
areas. After larval development is completed, the insect leaves the rhizome to form its
overwintering hibernaculum. One generation occurs annually.Host Plants
Peppermint is the main host for the mint root borer. It has been found occasionally on
spearmint, and in one instance involving Scotch spearmint in south - central Washington,
the insect caused significant damage. Native spearmint has never been damaged by the
borer.
Detection of Mint Root Borer and Evaluation of Infested Fields
Although mint root borer is widely distributed in the Pacific Northwest, it will not
infest all fields or will not infest them equally. To determine if the insect is present,
check fields for adults during late July when moth activity is at its peak. This is best
accomplished by sweep - net sampling or by carefully observing the insect at rest on the
foliage. Recognize, however, that other day - flying pyralid moths --orange mint moth, Pyrausta
orphisalis Walker, and false celery leaftier, Udea profundalis (Packard)
--found in mint fields resemble mint root borer moths. Orange mint moth is beneficial, and
false celery leaftier is of little or no economic importance to mint. No controls are
needed for these insects. The above key and illustrations on the facing page show
differences in the adult moth stages. For information on the beneficial effects of orange
mint moth on mint, see WSU XB0982, Orange Mint Moth: A Beneficial Insect in Washington's
Commercial Mints.
If adult mint root borers are found during summer sampling, an infestation of mint root
borer larvae will probably follow. However, it is difficult to predict the level of
infestation and associated feeding injury. To determine if control is necessary, conduct
follow - up soil and rhizome sampling for borer larvae in mid - to late August after
harvest in Washington and Idaho; or from the last week in August to the first 2 weeks of
September in western Oregon.
To sample, take two square foot soil samples for every 2 to 3 acres. Sample depth need not
be more than 3 inches, or not deeper than the mint rhizomes. During sampling, examine soil
as well as rhizomes for larvae, since larvae move between rhizomes during feeding. Take
soil samples around areas where plants are weak, not in areas where plants are dead.
Screen soil samples in the field or place them in Berlese funnels to remove the larvae. In
some production areas, you may also recover root weevils and symphylans during sampling.
For more information on insect soil sampling and Berlese funnels, see OSU EC 1079, Sampling for Soil Insect Pests.
__________________________________________________________________
KEY
to the Common Pyralid Moths of Mint in the Pacific Northwest.
1. Wing color, generally light
brown........................................ Go to 2
la. Wing color, generally dark
brown and orange.................... ORANGE MINT MOTH
2. Submarginal line on wings
broken or dotted; small,
distinctly outlined donut
marking on forewing.............. FALSE CELERY LEAFTIER
2a. Submarginal line on wings
solid; small donut marking on
forewing lacking...................... MINT ROOT BORER
Guidelines for Borer Control
Research and field experience indicate that in general, if the number of mint root borer
larvae averages 2 or more per square foot in peppermint, the insect should be controlled.
This is particularly true if the field will remain in production for one or more years.
Control Approaches
Four approaches to mint root borer control are listed below. Not every approach is suited
for all farms or locations. Consider the methods carefully before deciding which will work
best for you.
1. When planting new fields, use peppermint root stock free of mint root borer, or at
least root stock taken from Lorsban ® 4E treated fields. If native spearmint, which is
not affected by mint root borer, is an economic and agronomic option to growing
peppermint, grow native spearmint.
2. If the number of borer larvae averages 2 or more per square foot, treat fields with
Lorsban ® 4E, at the rate of 2.0 pounds active ingredient per acre, using a broadcast
foliar application in the late summer or fall after harvest, and sprinkler irrigate the
field within 24 hours, using a minimum of 1 - acre inch of water. By sprinkler
incorporating Lorsban ® immediately, compared with delaying, or using no irrigation, you
can minimize insecticide loss through dissipation. The 1 - inch minimum water requirement
provides maximum downward movement of Lorsban ® in the soil; Lorsban ® is not easily
leached by irrigation (see Pike and Getzin 1981).
Using sprinkler irrigation following treatment as described will generally require
treatment in strips coordinated with the movement of irrigation across fields. Some
growers combine application and irrigation by applying Lorsban 4E to peppermint through a
sprinkler irrigation system. This may simplify the application/ incorporation of Lorsban
®; however, the approach on mint has not been experimentally verified and is not label
approved; it is labeled for this type of application on selected other crops. See the
Lorsban ® 4E label, also "Lorsban ® 4E Insecticide Center - Pivot Irrigation
Guidelines," The Dow Chemical Company, 1984.
3. If the number of borer larvae averages 2 or more per square foot, treat fields with
Lorsban ® 4E at the rate of 2.0 pounds active ingredient per acre by broadcast foliar
application in late summer or fall after harvest. Immediately incorporate Lorsban ® into
the soil, using strip tillage as illustrated in Diagram 1. To strip till after harvest,
you may need to irrigate the soil first. During tillage, lower the rear apron on the
tiller to smooth and level the soil. Follow with a packer wheel. Locate new tilled strips
over the old beds. The best roots generally are established in these old furrows after
late summer irrigation. Cut furrows, if needed, in the tilled strips.
The strip tillage process, in addition to incorporating the Lorsban ®, physically
destroys some larvae. However, strip tillage alone following harvest is not an adequate
treatment for borer. The process also aids in reducing soil compaction, may stimulate or
rejuvenate mint stands, may facilitate herbicide weed control, and is useful in
reestablishing or alternating irrigation furrows. The Lorsban ® tillage treatment, timed
immediately after harvest, provides on the order of 90% or more control, and prevents or
limits much borer damage that would otherwise occur in the fall. The treatment has been
especially helpful to growers in south - central Washington and to some Idaho growers. It
has led to significant oil yield gains in research plots; however, it may not be the best
approach for all growers. It may not work well in sandy soil and it is not recommended in
western Oregon because of the danger of spreading verticillium wilt and the absence of
irrigated furrows. We recommend that you test this practice first on small plots before
adopting it fully.
4. In western Oregon, plowing and discing 4 - 6
inches deep in the fall (late October or early November) or in the spring (February or
March) reduce mint root borer adult survival by more than 80%. However, because this
practice may spread verticillium wilt, it is only recommended every two or three years,
and only in fields with low incidence of verticillium wilt. Growers may observe additional
benefits from plowing and discing, such as stand rejuvenation, suppression of some weed
species common groundsel and false dandelion - -redistribution of nutrients, and the
establishment of uniform pH levels in the upper 4 to 6 inches of soil (see Talkington, 1993 and Talkington
and Berry, 1986)
Acknowledgments
Research leading to development of this bulletin was supported in part by the Washington
Mint Commission, the Idaho Mint Commission, the Oregon Mint Commission, the Oregon
Essential Oil Growers League, and the Mint Industry Research Council. Photographs in this
publication are courtesy of the following: Ken Gray, Entomologist, Oregon State University
Extension Service...mature mint root borer larva, page 3; overwintering prepupa, pupa, and
hibernaculum, page 4; mint root borer and false celery leaftier adult moths, and mint root
borer eggs, page 5. R. E. Berry, Entomologist, Oregon State University...feeding damage of
second and third instar larvae, and second instar larva entry hole, page 3. K. S. Pike,
Entomologist, Washington State University Irrigated Agriculture Research & Extension
Center, Prosser...orange mint moth adult, page 5. The life cycle of the mint root borer
was drawn by Leslie Boydston. Diagrams 1 and 2 were based on drawings by Leslie Boydston. |