Spotted Wing Drosophila Alert and Berry Notes — September 20, 2024
David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist, Phil Fanning, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Entomology, Christina Howard, Maine New Farmer Project Manager
Spotted Wing Drosophila:
Fly counts in our vinegar/yeast traps this week were mostly moderate, similar to last week’s counts, likely due to cool night temperatures, dry conditions and spray regimes (see table below). Counts were low enough in some locations to indicate that a longer spray interval (7-10 days) may be adequate to prevent infestation. However, we strongly recommend continuing regular protective sprays on all ripening berries and soft fruit crops to protect against SWD infestation. The presence of any larvae in ripening fruit should also initiate a regular spray program if you are not using traps to monitor the flies. This week fruit fly counts ranged from 1 to 1504 in our traps, indicating that ripening fruit in most locations still require regular protection to prevent infestation. A 5- to 10-day spray interval should minimize fruit infestation, depending on the level of pest pressure in a given field.
For more information on identifying spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and updates on populations around the state, visit our SWD blog.
Berry Notes:
Maine Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers Twilight Meeting: Join the MVSFGA for a twilight meeting at Blackies Farm Fresh Produce, 966 Minot Ave in Auburn on Tuesday October 1. We will see the new packing, washing and storage facilities and get an update on new pesticide products and how best to manage applications under new regulations. Meet and greet starts at 5:30 p.m. and the program will start at 6 p.m. We expect two pesticide applicator recertification credits will be available for attending this meeting.
Other IPM Web Pages
Michigan State University Spotted Wing Drosophila
Penn State University Spotted Wing Drosophila Overview
University of New Hampshire SWD Weekly IPM Reports
| Town | SWD weekly trap catch 8/23/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 8/29/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 9/6/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 9/13/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 9/20/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells | 1264 | 595 | 2,160 | 988 | 1,504 |
| Sanford | 592 | 191 | — | — | — |
| Limington | 189 | 88 | 154 | 12 | 6 |
| Bowdoinham | 492 | 546 | 235 | 204 | 109 |
| New Gloucester | 544 | 164 | 722 | 153 | — |
| Mechanic Falls | 680 | 72 | 674 | 23 | 1 |
| Monmouth | 232 | 81 | 95 | 22 | 60 |
David T. Handley
Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist
Highmoor Farm
P.O. Box 179
Monmouth, ME 04259
207.933.2100
UMaine Extension Diagnostic Research Lab
Pest Management Unit
17 Godfrey Drive
Orono, ME 04473
1.800.287.0279
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