Spotted Wing Drosophila Update, July 6, 2018

Spotted Wing Drosophila Update, July 6, 2018

This year we are conducting a regional monitoring program in berry and stone fruit crops and grapes including Essex, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Norfolk, Niagara, Durham, Ottawa/Carleton, Dundas-Stormont and Glengary (DSG) and Northumberland counties.  This post contains a summary of trap counts since May 28, 2018, updated July 6.  The chart will be updated weekly.

Trapping was initiated in berry fields and will progress into stone fruit (tart cherry, sweet cherry, yellow plum, apricot, peach, nectarine, blue plum) and grape crops as they ripen.  We have placed 3-4 traps with commercial SWD lures at each site.  Use these results in addition to your own monitoring program to determine when SWD is present on your farm. Conduct a salt water test or a plastic baggie test to confirm presence of larvae in fruit.

The monitoring project is a collaboration among the Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Ontario Tender Fruit Growers, the Eastern Ontario Berry Growers, OMAFRA staff and private consultants.

SWD has been identified in low numbers in traps in Essex, Chatham-Kent, Niagara, Durham and Norfolk counties as of July 6 but numbers are starting to increase.  This means that growers with ripening crops susceptible to SWD should consider using a product with activity against swd in preharvest sprays.  Check the SWD product registrations on our website. Mako and Malathion have received emergency use registration for this year again and previous blog posts for information on products for managing pre-harvest insects including swd on stone fruit.

*number of flies per trap