A single male was found the week ending June 11, 2018 in one of four traps set in a red raspberry planting in Cayuga County. The trap that caught the male SWD was set in the interior of the 8-row planting. These traps are being monitored by Nicole Mattoon and Ryan Parker, with Juliet Carroll, Fruit IPM Coordinator, in the NYS IPM Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Red raspberry fruit at this site are still green and, therefore, not at risk of infestation. However, next to the raspberry planting are ripening June strawberries. June strawberry typically escapes injury from SWD in New York. This may be because populations are low to non-existent during the June strawberry harvest season. Another reason June strawberries may escape SWD injury could be the use of insecticides to control other insects, such as spittlebug, tarnished plant bug, or strawberry sap beetle.
As raspberry fruits develop and ripen, take time to mow row middles, eliminate weeds from within the row, and thin canes as described in the blog on pruning caneberries. All these tactics will reduce humidity in the planting, increase sun penetration, hasten drying of foliage and fruit, and promote spray penetration. SWD prefer humid environments.
Guidelines for managing SWD are found on the Spotted Wing Drosophila Management page.