The trap threshold to begin management used for baited red spheres is 5 flies per trap. The flies are considered to be attracted to red spheres once they reach maturity and ready to lay eggs.
The fruit fly, in the family Tephritidae, is native to North America. populations lay their eggs into the fruit of wild hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), while locally migrating adults becoming a primary pest of cultivated apples, especially in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. From work done by Chapman and Link, the apple maggot will first infest early apple varieties such as Ginger Gold, moving to later maturing varieties as the season progresses. Summer and early fall maturing varieties are particularly vulnerable, with thin skinned sweet and sub-acid varieties being most susceptible.
We have not seen fruit infestations to our early varieties to date. It’s likely that these rains will provide ample moisture to the soil for adult emergence in the weeks to come.
