Taking on popeye of the arthropods: a novel approach to managing garden symphylan (Scutigerella immaculata) in hoop-houses

Garden Symphylan, Scutigerella immaculata, has been an agricultural pest of growing economic importance for the last 100 years. Recent interest in organic, locally grown produce has put a great deal of pressure on local farmers to grow crops year-round, giving rise to many pest-related problems not encountered in more conventional, seasonal farming. This report describes a management strategy developed in response to symphylan infestation in an organic spinach farm that utilizes hoop-houses to extend the crop growing season. Experiments were conducted to test the efficacy of soil heat treatment and substrate barriers in managing symphylan populations. Symphylan adults were subjected to heat treatments of 20°, 30°, 40°, 50° and 70°C in soil at 17% and 50% volumetric water content, respectively, in a heat oven. Lethal temperatures were achieved for symphylan between 30-40°C at both soil moistures. Tests were conducted to characterize vertical and horizontal migration across substrate barriers, but did not yield convincing results, as a large proportion of symphylan were either dead or not located after the completion of tests. The low cost management strategy described was successfully implemented within months of its development and will likely be a useful tool in similar agricultural contexts in the future.