Bollworms are more easily controlled than tobacco budworms, but they are not as easy to control as they were 3 years ago. No insecticide or combination of insecticides killed more than 75% of the bollworms in the 1987 bollworm control test discussed in this paper.

One insecticide combination, Curacron + the unlabeled pyrethroid Karate gave 70% control of hatching, 1 and 2 day old tobacco budworm larvae. No other treatments gave better than 48% control of budworms in this age classification. The combination of Cymbush + Galecron which in previous tests and in grower use had been one of the most effective treatments in 1986 and early 1987, killed only 4% of hatching 1 and 2 day old tobacco budworms in this test.

These tests and 3 other similar tests conducted recently have all demonstrated a common phenomenon. Control of larvae which have hatched after treatment has been consistently better than control of small larvae resent when the lots were sprayed.