Although SWD numbers in western NY remain low, sustained catch of 1 female and 1 male SWD in a trap set on the edge of a blueberry planting was obtained in Niagara County on June 16, 2020. These traps are being monitored by Liz Tee, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
![Photo of unripe blueberries into which SWD can't lay eggs.](https://blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/files/2017/06/Blueberry-Canker-survey-072209-105_croppedjpg-p8nwzw-300x293.jpg)
Reports of purple color showing up on blueberry fruit harkens ripening and the upcoming harvest. Please prepare to manage SWD in tender fruit crops when they are ripe.
A good approach during harvest is to check fruit with salt flotation periodically. This is especially important if you are planning a low- to no-spray approach to managing SWD, so that you know when fruit is infested and you may need to shut down picking operations, do a clean harvest, and up your spray program. Check out, Guidelines for Checking Fruit for SWD Larvae in the Field, authored by Laura McDermott, ENYCHP.
Pest management for SWD includes:
- Mowing – to reduce humidity and niches for SWD harborage and to increase sun penetration.
- Weed management – to reduce humidity, alternate fruiting hosts and harborage and to increase sun penetration.
- Pruning – to reduce humidity and to increase sun and spray penetration.
- Monitoring – to know if SWD is present when fruit is ripening.
- Sanitation – to reduce reproduction harborage and overall SWD population.
- Cold storage – to slow or kill any eggs and larvae in harvested fruit.
Online Resources:
SWD Management, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/ on Cornell Fruit Resources.
Insecticide Quick Guides for NY State are found here:
- For berry crops http://www.hort.cornell.edu/fruit/pdfs/swd/berry-insecticides.pdf
- For stone fruit and grapes http://www.hort.cornell.edu/fruit/pdfs/swd/treefruit-grape-insecticides.pdf