Cherry Growers Reminded To Watch For SWD

Washington State University is warning a mild winter may be setting the stage for higher populations of Spotted Wing Drosophila in Northwest cherry orchards this season.

Traps deployed in late March caught the pest during the first week, which WSU said was earlier than normal, and several reports of suspected SWD infestations in cherries are now being investigated. Growers should watch for tiny puncture marks on fruit, white thread-like spiracles, or small feeding holes surrounded by brown, flattened tissue.

Experts recommend maintaining strong pre-harvest spray coverage with effective materials, including spinosad and lambda-cyhalothrin, and avoiding gaps in protection.

Sap beetles are also showing up in fruit, often enlarging damage already caused by SWD.

For more, check out WSU's Spotted Wing Drosophila Webpage.

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