RALEIGH — This week, cranberry fruitworm moths are still present in monitoring traps, while trap captures of blueberry maggot fly and cherry fruitworm moths appear to be subdued for the time being. Spotted wing drosophila continue to be trapped at most of our locations, and as fruit start to ripen, management for this important harvest period pest should also begin.
Larval activity of cherry and cranberry fruitworm moth was observed in some fruit clusters as indicated by their distinctive frass (insect droppings) left in clusters, as well as signs of external feeding by these insects.
Other insects such as honey bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and leaf-footed bugs, like the two pictured above, were seen not infrequently throughout the fields. Leaf-footed bugs can be quite common on plants preharvest, but are not pests of blueberries and do not require treatment.
We also observed what appear to be stink bug eggs on a fruit sample, but again, these are not pests of concern in blueberries.
Six total blueberry fields are being monitored with five trapping stations at each field site and each station consisting of one spotted wing drosophila (SWD) trap baited with a yeast sugar-water mixture, one white “wing” sticky trap baited with a pheromone lure attractive to male cranberry fruitworm moths, one white “wing” trap baited with a pheromone lure attractive to male cherry fruitworm moths, and one yellow sticky trap baited with ammonium bicarbonate to attract blueberry maggot flies.
The average number of the total pests captured per site per day are presented in the figures below. YSW refers to traps baited with “yeast/sugar water.” SWD refers to “spotted wing drosophila.”
During this trapping period, 0 SWD were captured at New Hanover 1, 2 SWD were captured at Pender 1, 3 SWD were captured at Bladen 3, 1 SWD was captured at Bladen 1, 4 SWD were captured at Bladen 4, and 1 SWD was captured at Sampson 1.
During this trapping period, 1 cranberry fruitworm moth was captured at Bladen 4, and 2 cranberry fruitworm moths were captured at Bladen 3.
No cherry fruitworm moths were captured during this trapping period.
No blueberry maggot flies were captured during this trapping period.
— Grant Palmer, NC State Extension
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