Last year some apple growers reported damage from brown marmorated stink bugs, particularly in the northern counties. BMSB will also attack peaches and other fruit, as well as a number of vegetables. Now is the time that growers should be watching for BMSB and its damage. There are a number of commercially available traps that[Read More…]
Ricky E Foster
Professor
Department of Entomology
Area(s) of Interest: Pest Mgmt. Vegetable and Fruit Crops
Department of Entomology
Area(s) of Interest: Pest Mgmt. Vegetable and Fruit Crops
Although I have not received any reports of problems with European red mites in apples, now is the time when growers should be scouting for infestations. Most growers know where mite problems show up first, either a particular variety (i.e, Red Delicious) or along a gravel road. Check those spots first and expand your scouting[Read More…]
We have not yet heard any reports of damage from spotted wing drosophila. Our short history with this pest is that damage will commence in early July. Growers should have their SWD traps in place now. Spraying should begin when the first SWD is caught in a trap or the first damage is observed. Because[Read More…]
Japanese beetles are out and feeding. I saw a large population on the raspberries at the Meigs Farm on Monday. Although this pest isn’t as severe as it was a number of years ago, it can still cause plenty of problems. Small fruit growers should monitor their crops and control the beetles if necessary. Japanese[Read More…]
Codling moths are flying in some parts of the state. Place your pheromone traps in the orchard during bloom. I have not yet caught any in my traps but expect to soon. We define biofix as the first sustained flight of moths. Therefore, we don’t determine biofix when that first moth shows up in the[Read More…]
Eastern flower thrips are an occasional pest of strawberries. They are attracted to and feed on flowers, with the result being leathery fruit or fruit that fail to ripen. This problem occurs every year at low levels but has not been serious in recent years, with the last serious problem in 1994. Eastern flower thrips[Read More…]
One of the first and most important parts of a good insect and mite management program is the application of an early season oil spray to control European red mites, San Jose scale, and several species of aphids. Scales overwinter on the tree as nymphs and European red mites and aphids overwinter as eggs. Because[Read More…]
A number of growers have experienced increasing problems with woolly apple aphids over the last several seasons. Part of the reason for the increased populations may be related to the changing spectrum of insecticides you are using to control other pests. Our experience has been that many of the aphicides that are available that provide[Read More…]
One way insects communicate with individuals of the same species is with pheromones. Pheromones are volatile chemicals released by an insect that usually can be detected only by individuals of the same species. There are a number of different types of pheromones, but the most common type is the sex pheromone. Usually the females will[Read More…]