Author: jec3@cornell.edu

After some ups and downs wherein Ariel Kirk, Steuben County CCE, and I had our cars die (she's got a car now, I still need to get one), we've got the Steuben County SWD report for you! On August 17, 2021, two males were caught on red sticky traps set in a blueberry planting. And the following week, on August 24, another two males were caught on red sticky card traps. No Scentry jar traps were set in the blueberry planting.

Some years, Steuben County is the last county in the network in which SWD is caught and some years SWD catch there is quite early. Even after almost ten years of running the network, I am mystified by when and where SWD shows up in traps. All sites have now caught SWD and the trap-network traps have been taken down across New York State.

At this point in time, I'm still trapping (for fun?) at two farms (tart cherry and raspberry). My focus is to look for tiny parasitic wasps (they don't sting), in an effort to identify parasitoids of SWD so that we might be able to engage some natural enemies against this invasive. Parasitoids of insect pests are encouraged either through augmentation, where additional parasitoids are reared in an insectary (an insect nursery) and released to do their work, or through conservation — of habitat, alternate prey, or pesticide selection (i.e. IPM). Currently, in the Scentry jar traps  there are numerous SWD, sometimes making up the majority of the fruit flies caught!

Therefore, if you have susceptible fruit ripe or ripening (fall raspberry, blackberry, late season blueberry, day-neutral strawberry, elderberry, soft-skinned grapes) it is now essential to have an insecticide program in place, on top of the additional management tactics you can bring to bear on SWD. The insecticide quick guides are on the SWD Management page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/, along with more information on managing SWD.

First and sustained catch in Suffolk County occurred in mid-June. First catch of a single male in a raspberry planting and a single male in a blueberry planting occurred on June 10, 2021. Sustained catch the following week still found only a single male at both locations. These were caught on the two sticky card traps set in the berry plantings.

As of July 7th, when traps were taken down, 39 males were caught in the four traps (two sticky and two jar traps) in the raspberries and 20 males in the four traps in the blueberries. Numbers of SWD no doubt are still on the rise on Long Island.

Traps in Suffolk County were monitored by Faruque Zaman, Suffolk County CCE and Long Island Horticulture Research and Extension Center.

Sustained catch has been obtained in three more counties across New York State: Herkimer, Livingston, and Monroe. High numbers of SWD were caught in four traps in Herkimer County! Here are the details of the sustained catch reports:

Herkimer County - blueberry, 23 females and 13 males, total 36 SWD, traps checked on July 20, 2021 by the grower and insects identified by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM Program. This is an average of 9 SWD per trap, a point at which the blueberry crop is definitely at risk and in need of protection.

Livingston County - blueberry, 1 female and 0 males, total 1 SWD, traps checked on July 22, 2021 by Dave Thorp, Livingston County.

Monroe County - blueberry, 4 females and 6 males, total 10 SWD, traps checked on July 26, 2021 by Janet van Zoeren, CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Program.

SWD has been caught at nearly all the trapping locations across NY. The SWD season is underway and fruit crops ultimately will be infested by this insect, unless good management tactics are in place. Most of these sustained catches were in blueberry fields. Therefore, for blueberries, here's a refresher of resources:

Managing SWD in blueberries from the NYS IPM Program, blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/08/02/managing-swd-in-blueberries/ .

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Blueberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub2

SWD Management entails 5 key tactics:

• Excellent sanitation will reduce SWD populations.

Fruit should be harvested frequently and completely to prevent the buildup of ripe and over-ripe fruit. Unmarketable fruit should be removed from the field and either frozen, “baked” in clear plastic bags placed in the sun, or disposed of in bags off-site. This will kill larvae, remove them from your crop, and prevent them from emerging as adults.

• Canopy and water management will make the environment less favorable.

Prune to maintain an open canopy, increase sunlight and reduce humidity. This will make plantings less attractive to SWD and will improve spray coverage. Repair leaking drip lines and avoid overhead irrigation when possible. Allow the ground and mulch surface to dry before irrigating.

• Insecticide sprays will kill SWD adults and thereby reduce egg laying.

Insecticide treatments should begin when either regional monitoring alerts about the first SWD trap catch or when highly susceptible fruit crops, such as raspberries and blackberries, are ripening. Treatments should be applied at least every seven days and repeated in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides with pre harvest intervals that work for your picking schedule. Rotate insecticides according to their modes of action. Quick reference guides are on the SWD Management web page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/. Check the Cornell Guidelines for your crop (cropandpestguides.cce.cornell.edu/) for the latest list of approved pesticides. Always read and follow the pesticide label instructions.

• Regular fruit sampling.

At least 100 fruit per block per harvest should be observed for infestation. Talk to your local CCE agent about a monitoring program. Fruit can be inspected for evidence of larval feeding. Small holes in berries where the eggs were laid may leak juice when the berry is gently squeezed; this is especially diagnostic on blueberry. Infested red raspberry fruit may leave a red juice stain on the berry receptacle when the fruit is picked. Fruit with small indents or bruises where the berry surface appears to have flattened or deflated may be damaged.

A salt flotation method, immersing fruit in a solution of 1 Tbsp. (14.8 cc) table salt per 1 cup (236.6 ml) water, may cause larvae to float to surface. At least 100 fruit per block per harvest should be observed for infestation. Suggested methods were adapted for NY growers in Guidelines for Checking Fruit for SWD Larvae in the Field.

• Cool berries immediately.

Chilling berries immediately after harvest to 32°F–34°F will slow or stop the development of larvae and eggs in the fruit. U-Pick customers should be encouraged to refrigerate fruit immediately to maintain fruit quality at home.

IPM reminders to level the playing field against SWD

1. Mow your fruit plantings, orchards and vineyards.
2. Control weeds within the row.
3. Prune back shady hedgerows and wooded edges.
4. Prune to open the canopy.
5. Calibrate your sprayer.
6. Rotate IRAC modes of action.
7. Immediately put the fresh fruit harvest into cold storage at 33°F-34°F, which can kill SWD eggs and larvae in fruit.

Sustained catch has been reported in four more counties across New York State: Chemung, Rensselaer, Wayne, and Wyoming. Here are details of the sustained catch reports:

Chemung County - blueberry, 0 females and 3 males, total 3 SWD, traps checked on July 1, 2021 by Liz Alexander, Chemung County CCE. The subsequent trap check on July 13, 2021 found 11 total SWD, 4 females and 7 males.

Rensselaer County - blueberry, 3 females and 5 males, total 8 SWD, traps checked on July 13, 2021 by Laura McDermott, ENYCHP.

Wayne County - blueberry, 1 female and 4 males, total 5 SWD, traps checked on July 21, 2021 by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM.

Wyoming County - raspberry, 2 females and 1 male, total 3 SWD, traps checked on July 15, 2021 by Don Gasiewicz, Wyoming County CCE.

In a second farm in Washington County, sustained catch of 4 males was reached on July 19, 2021, wrapping up all participating counties and locations in Eastern NY with sustained catch.

SWD is here and will be placing all susceptible crops at risk of infestation. Learn about the crop host plants and how to spot infestations on the Crops of Concern and Wild Hosts page.

Populations of this insect are sure to increase to astonishing numbers through and into November. It will be important, as the season progresses, to:

1. Check harvested fruit for infestation, using a salt flotation method.
2. Keep fruit protected with spray programs, starting with highly efficacious insecticides first and foremost.
3. Keep exclusion netting in perfect condition, if you have it.
4. Practice sanitation to reduce SWD build-up in your local agroecosystem.
5. Mow and weed.
6. Prune, tie and train to keep an open canopy.

Find more information on the SWD Management page.

Blueberry plantings in Herkimer and Wayne Counties have reached first catch as of July 13 and 14, respectively. Three SWD, 2 male and 1 female, were caught in four jar traps set in and on the edge of a blueberry planting in Herkimer County. Three male SWD were caught on a sticky trap, none on the other sticky trap or in the two jar traps, all set on the edge of the planting in Wayne County.

As blueberry season gears up, SWD will take advantage of this crop as a reproductive resource. Keep those tiny, white worms out of your fruit with consistent SWD management tactics. For blueberries, here's a refresher of resources:

Managing SWD in blueberries from the NYS IPM Program, blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/08/02/managing-swd-in-blueberries/ .

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Blueberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub2

SWD Management entails 5 key tactics:

• Excellent sanitation will reduce SWD populations.

Fruit should be harvested frequently and completely to prevent the buildup of ripe and over-ripe fruit. Unmarketable fruit should be removed from the field and either frozen, “baked” in clear plastic bags placed in the sun, or disposed of in bags off-site. This will kill larvae, remove them from your crop, and prevent them from emerging as adults.

• Canopy and water management will make the environment less favorable.

Prune to maintain an open canopy, increase sunlight and reduce humidity. This will make plantings less attractive to SWD and will improve spray coverage. Repair leaking drip lines and avoid overhead irrigation when possible. Allow the ground and mulch surface to dry before irrigating.

• Insecticide sprays will kill SWD adults and thereby reduce egg laying.

Insecticide treatments should begin when either regional monitoring alerts about the first SWD trap catch or when highly susceptible fruit crops, such as raspberries and blackberries, are ripening. Treatments should be applied at least every seven days and repeated in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides with pre harvest intervals that work for your picking schedule. Rotate insecticides according to their modes of action. Quick reference guides are on the SWD Management web page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/. Check the Cornell Guidelines for your crop (cropandpestguides.cce.cornell.edu/) for the latest list of approved pesticides. Always read and follow the pesticide label instructions.

• Regular fruit sampling.

At least 100 fruit per block per harvest should be observed for infestation. Talk to your local CCE agent about a monitoring program. Fruit can be inspected for evidence of larval feeding. Small holes in berries where the eggs were laid may leak juice when the berry is gently squeezed; this is especially diagnostic on blueberry. Infested red raspberry fruit may leave a red juice stain on the berry receptacle when the fruit is picked. Fruit with small indents or bruises where the berry surface appears to have flattened or deflated may be damaged.

A salt flotation method, immersing fruit in a solution of 1 Tbsp. (14.8 cc) table salt per 1 cup (236.6 ml) water, may cause larvae to float to surface. At least 100 fruit per block per harvest should be observed for infestation. Suggested methods were adapted for NY growers in Guidelines for Checking Fruit for SWD Larvae in the Field.

• Cool berries immediately.

Chilling berries immediately after harvest to 32°F–34°F will slow or stop the development of larvae and eggs in the fruit. U-Pick customers should be encouraged to refrigerate fruit immediately to maintain fruit quality at home.

IPM reminders to level the playing field against SWD

1. Mow your fruit plantings, orchards and vineyards.
2. Control weeds within the row.
3. Prune back shady hedgerows and wooded edges.
4. Prune to open the canopy.
5. Calibrate your sprayer.
6. Rotate IRAC modes of action.
7. Immediately put the fresh fruit harvest into cold storage, 33°F-34°F can kill SWD eggs and larvae in fruit.

Traps in Herkimer County are being maintained by the blueberry grower and insect identification is done by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM Program. Traps in Wayne County are being monitored by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM.

Whoa! With as little as one and as many as 76, sustained catch has shown up in five more counties across New York State this week: Cayuga, Clinton, Niagara, Onondaga, and Orleans. Here are the details of the sustained catch reports:

Cayuga County - raspberry, 5 females and 16 males, total 21 SWD, traps checked on July 8, 2021 by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM.

Clinton County - blueberry, 0 females and 1 male, total 1 SWD, traps checked on July 6, 2021 by Elisabeth Hodgdon and Andy Galimberti, ENYCHP.

Niagara County - raspberry, 34 females and 42 males, total 76 SWD, traps checked on July 6, 2021 by Elizabeth Tee, Lake Ontario Fruit Program (LOFP).

Onondaga County - blueberry, 0 females and 2 males, total 2 SWD, traps checked on July 8, 2021 by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM.

Orleans County - raspberry, 2 females and 0 males, total 2 SWD traps checked by Janet van Zoeren, LOFP.

Sustained catch means SWD is here to stay and underlines the importance of keeping an eye on your crop and its level of ripeness. Ripe fruit are targets for SWD egg laying — wouldn't you want your babies to grow up in the best possible place? Yes, you would. But, you don't want SWD's babies in your fruit crops. So, let's do everything we possibly can to level the playing field against SWD and grow the best possible fruit crops.

IPM reminders to level the playing field against SWD

1. Mow your fruit plantings, orchards and vineyards.
2. Control weeds within the row.
3. Prune back shady hedgerows and wooded edges.
4. Prune to open the canopy.
5. Calibrate your sprayer.
6. Rotate IRAC modes of action.
7. Immediately put the fresh fruit harvest into cold storage, 33°F-34°F can kill SWD eggs and larvae in fruit.

In two blueberry plantings, one in Monroe County and one in Rensselaer County, SWD was caught during the week ending on July 6, 2021. In Monroe County, one male and two females were found in traps monitored by Janet van Zoeren, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, CCE. In Rensselaer County, four females were found in traps monitored by Laura McDermott, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, CCE.

Blueberry harvests are starting up across New York. The crop looks beautiful, berry size is great, and color is outstanding. Plan to protect this crop, which has ripened earlier this year than anyone can recall. Thankfully, SWD has arrived a bit later than in prior years and — in some locations — has built up slower than we've seen in prior years. Still, plan to protect the crop with excellent management tactics, as described on the SWD Management pages, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/.

One male SWD was caught in a Scentry jar trap during the week ending July 8, 2021. This in one of four traps (two jars and two sticky cards) set in a raspberry planting. These traps are being monitored by Don Gasiewicz, Wyoming County CCE. SWD has been caught at most locations that are monitoring across NY State.

As strawberries fields are renovated, SWD will move from this resource into other crops like raspberry, sweet cherry, tart cherry and blueberry. It is crucially important to renovate June strawberry plantings quickly and thoroughly to eliminate this SWD resource. If you are not planning to carry the strawberry field over for next year, plow it under and fallow the field or plant a cover crop. Read this blog, Renovate Strawberry Plantings Promptly, to remind yourself of best practices against SWD build up on your farm.

Early in the 'SWD season', when SWD arrives and before populations build up, use the most efficacious insecticide for your first spray to knock the SWD population back. Rotate insecticide use to different IRAC modes of action to prevent resistance. Follow label directions. Keep spray intervals tight and regular.

Early in the 'SWD season' it's also easier to practice sanitation of cull fruit. Don't allow cull fruit to build up in your Upick plantings. Its a lot easier to remove a reasonable amount of cull fruit than it is to face the prospect of picking out a lot of it. Fruit that falls to the ground — raspberries, blueberries, stone fruit, apples and pears — can be treated with insecticide. Though, not a lot of options, so don't overuse this tactic or you'll drive insecticide resistance. See the Quick Guide to Insecticides for Treating Dropped Fruits.

Seven sites in the five counties of Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Saratoga, and Schuyler are now at sustained catch of SWD — that is, the insect has now been detected in traps two weeks in a row. At two of the locations numbers are still below 5, but at all others they are 5 and above...up to 75 total caught at one location. Most locations have four traps. Details are below:

Albany County - summer raspberry, 18 females and 57 males, total 75 SWD, traps checked on June 28, 2021 by Natasha Field, ENYCHP.

Columbia County - tart cherry, 2 females and 12 males, total 14 SWD, traps checked on June 28, 2021 by Natasha Field, ENYCHP.

Dutchess County - sweet cherry, 17 females and 14 males, total 31 SWD, traps checked on June 28, 2021 by Sarah Tobin, ENYCHP.

Saratoga County - blackberry, 3 females and 4 males, total 7 SWD, traps checked on July 1, 2021 by Natasha Field, ENYCHP.

Schuyler County - blueberry, 0 females and 3 males, total 3 SWD; blueberry 1 female and 0 males, total 1 SWD; raspberry, 2 females and 3 males, total 5 SWD; traps checked by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM.

Time to plan and implement a solid insecticide spray program

Insecticide treatments will kill SWD adults and thereby reduce egg laying. Spray programs should begin when susceptible fruit crops are ripening and ripe. Treatments should be applied at least every seven days and repeated in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides with pre-harvest intervals (PHI's) that work for your harvest schedules. Rotate insecticides according to their modes of action. SWD insecticide quick guides are on the SWD Management web page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/. Check the Cornell Guidelines for your crop (cropandpestguides.cce.cornell.edu/) for the latest list of approved pesticides. Always read and follow the pesticide label instructions.

Hoping for a day when SWD has its own set of natural enemies?

That day may be on the horizon! The Sustainable SWD Management, swdmanagement.org/, project team will be gearing up to release parasitoids, like Ganapsis brasiliensis, a tiny little wasp that doesn't sting and instead uses its "stinger" to lay eggs on the SWD larvae that are inside your fruit. Brilliant! Project team members will release these biological control agents—parasitoids of SWD—from SWD's homeland and assess survival and effectiveness as an alternate management tactic. Stay tuned.