Two male and 12 female SWD were caught in traps on July 26, 2016 that were set in a blueberry planting in Onondaga County. Much of the planting had reduced crop load due to winter damage. These traps are being monitored by Nicole Mattoon, technician, and Juliet Carroll, Fruit IPM Coordinator, NYS IPM Program.
Although SWD had been caught earlier in an adjacent insecticide timing trial in raspberry with abundant fruit nothing had been caught in the blueberries until now. This underlines how much more attractive raspberry is to SWD than blueberry.
If you have ripe fruit on your farm, take time to monitor, check fruit for infestation, and develop an integrated management plan that includes refrigeration soon after harvest. Populations of SWD will continue to build up through the summer and into the fall.