Spotted Wing Drosophila and Berry Notes: October 11, 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
This will be the final issue of the Spotted Wing Drosophila Alert for the 2024 season. We hope you have found the information helpful and welcome your feedback.
Spotted Wing Drosophila:
Fly counts in our vinegar/yeast traps this week were higher than last week, especially in unsprayed plots (see table below). Growers who still have late fruit to harvest should continue regular protective sprays 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 10 to 3,992 in our traps, indicating that ripening fruit still requires regular protection to prevent infestation. A 5- to 7-day spray interval should minimize fruit infestation, depending on the level of pest pressure in a given field. In past seasons we have not seen fly populations significantly decline until there have been several hard frosts. Spotted wing drosophila overwinter as adults (flies), probably in the duff in wooded areas. They can emerge anytime the following spring when the temperatures warm up and a food source is available. It is thought that a relatively small percentage survive the winter (one study found about 20%), so it takes a while for populations to build up to damaging levels during the spring and summer.
For more information on identifying spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and updates on populations around the state, visit our SWD blog.
Save the Date!
The New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference will be held in Manchester, NH December 17, 18, 19, 2024. Program and registration information will be coming soon. Visit the website: http://www.newenglandvfc.org/.
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 9/13/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 9/20/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 9/27/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 10/4/24 | SWD weekly trap catch 10/11/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells | 988 | 1,504 | 1,023 | 841 | 3,992 |
| Limington | 12 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| Bowdoinham | 204 | 109 | 370 | 180 | 196 |
| Mechanic Falls | 23 | 1 | 63 | 58 | 31 |
| Monmouth | 22 | 60 | 252 | 162 | 760 |
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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