Alfalfa is a critically important forage crop to Wisconsin’s dairy industry. According to Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2005 Wisconsin farmers produced 8.53 million tons of alfalfa forage annually on 2.45 million acres. Using an average price of $87.00 per ton, total crop value, if sold, would be $742 million dollars. Wisconsin farmers place a substantial investment into the production of alfalfa. The UW-Madison Center for Dairy Profitability estimates variable production costs of $241.13 per acre to establish a stand of alfalfa. Bearing in mind that Wisconsin farmers establish 500,000 of alfalfa acres annually, out of pocket expenses for alfalfa establishment reaches nearly $121 million dollars. Despite alfalfa’s importance, dairy farmers have been reluctant to scout alfalfa. The last Pest Management Summary published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2001 indicated that only 31 percent of the farms in the North Central Region scout alfalfa fields, and only 11 percent used scouting information to make insect management decisions.