Walgenbach Lab

Person using sweep net to collect insects in soybean field

The Walgenbach Entomology Lab is located at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center (MHCREC) in Mills River, NC, which is approximately 260 miles west of the main NC State University campus in Raleigh. Our overall mission is to conduct an applied research and extension program in the area of Integrated Pest Management on tree fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on apples, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, and cucurbits. The program is coordinated by Dr. Jim Walgenbach and includes a full-time technician (Steve Schoof), full-time research associate (Emily Ogburn), post docs, research assistants, graduate students, and undergraduate summer assistants.

Field research is conducted at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station (MHCRS) in Mills River, the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, and on commercial farms throughout the mountain and piedmont regions. Our laboratory maintains colonies of several different insects and mites, including predatory mites and hymenopteran parasitoids, for year-round toxicological and behavioral studies.

NC map showing Asheville and Raleigh