Cooperative Extension at Highmoor Farm

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology There was a downturn in spotted wing drosophila numbers at most of our trapping locations this week, although it is important to note that all locations still had populations high enough to cause significant damage to any […]

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Spotted wing drosophila numbers were variable from site to site this week, with some locations seeing little change or a slight decrease from last week, while others showed a significant increase. This may be due to the […]

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Trap captures for spotted wing drosophila increased in most locations this week, likely stimulated by some warmer weather from tropical fronts moving through Maine. Fly populations remain well over the tolerance level to prevent fruit infestation. (See […]

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Our trap captures for spotted wing drosophila did not change significantly in most locations last week, meaning that populations are generally well over the tolerance level to prevent infestation of any soft fruit remaining in the fields. […]

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Our trap captures for spotted wing drosophila continued to increase this week at nearly all locations. (See table below.) Growers with any susceptible ripening fruit will need to continue protecting against fly egg-laying and larval infestation. Only […]

David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Spotted wing drosophila trap captures continue to increase as we move later into the season. (See table below.) Such high fly numbers will cause significant infestations of larvae in any ripening soft fruit, especially raspberries, blackberries, blueberries […]

Click on photos to enlarge. David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Spotted wing drosophila trap captures have increased significantly at most locations over the past two weeks. (See table below.) All of the trapping sites are catching numbers that will result in significant […]

Click on photos to enlarge. David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology Spotted wing drosophila activity continues to increase at most trapping sites this week. (See table below.) Most of the trap counts are above what we consider potentially damaging to ripening berry crops, […]

Click on photos to enlarge. David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology There has been an increase in spotted wing drosophila activity at most trapping sites this week (see table below). Reports from throughout the northeast suggest a similar trend. This is significantly earlier […]

Click on photos to enlarge. David Handley, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist; James Dill, Pest Management Specialist; Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology/Entomology We have found numerous spotted wing drosophila (SWD) fruit flies in raspberry and highbush blueberry plantings in Maine over the past week, in nearly every location that we have set up traps […]