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Bollworms are common insects in cotton farms. But certain breeds of bollworm like Pink bollworm are considered to be serious even in other flowering gardens where they are imbibing the flower buds irrationally. Pink bollworm insects are identified in a pale yellow body in its initial stage after hatching which on further course changes into pale pink, and it represents the fully grown larvae ready to become adult moths. The matured adult phase of pink bollworm has a spotted forewing with a pair of peripheral hind wings, to be exact; the length of their wings is nearly 9mm.
Using this physical detail of this insect it is possible to pick out the adult moths both male and female preventing the breed of the insect between the farms. Breeding of pink bollworms becomes dynamic during the fall season. The female moths specifically lay the eggs beneath the young branch, leaves and flower buds. The seed capsules of cotton plants are drilled by the worms leeching away everything. The buds of the cotton are infested very much by this action of this worm leaving it an unusable condition. Control of the infestation is possible only by controlling the population of the adult moths. The moths are not simple to clear off from the farms even though they are visible to naked eye.
Various methods have to be adopted for the control of pink bollworms, for instance, modifications in the cultural farming, adopting mechanical traps for catching the adults, use of synthetics in seed preparation and for insecticidal spraying the farm using products like endosulpfan and finally by the biological method of using Neem oil or neem seed kernels in the farm. Biological methods are very supportive and safe for both the plant and its surrounding environment. Neem oil certified by Environmental Protection Agency, US can be given a trial for not killing the adults but at least for repelling the insect from the plant hosts if any of the above alternatives are not effective enough.
Author: Adam Teaser - neem
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