| Insect | Treatment threshold | Time when insect is a problem (weeks after transplanting) |
|---|---|---|
| Aphids | 20% or more plants infested with colonies at any position on the plants. | 4 weeks to final harvest Start earlier on later transplanted tobacco |
| Budworms | Count only worms ½ inch or longer. Spray if 4%, 10%, or 20% of plants are infested at 3-4, 5, and 6 weeks, respectively. | 1 to 3 weeks before topping |
| Cutworms | 1 out of 20 plants with recent cutworm damage. | 1 to 4 weeks |
| Flea beetles | Four beetles per plant on newly transplanted tobacco (less than 2 weeks old); 8 to 10 beetles per plant on 2- to 4-week-old plants; 60 beetles per plant on older tobacco; lacy and ragged appearance at the base of the lower leaves. | 0 to 4 weeks |
| Grasshoppers | 5 grasshoppers per 50 plants. | 9 weeks to final harvest |
| Hornworms | Count only worms without parasite cocoons that are 1 inch or longer. Spray if greater than 10 worms per 100 plants before button, or greater than 20 worms per 100 plants after button. | 3 weeks to harvest |
| Wireworms | Not determined. | 1 to 4 weeks |
