7.03.13 Spotted Wing Drosophila
Dave Yarborough and Frank Drummond will be sending out SWD updates one to two times a week over the growing season. Frank and Judy Collins will be monitoring 18 field sites from Stockton Springs up to Jonesboro. Dr. Jim Dill and Dr. Dave Handley (UMaine Cooperative Extension) are monitoring traps in mid-coast to southern Maine in strawberry, highbush blueberry, and raspberry fields. In addition, we will be in contact with several growers from the coastal region. Therefore, we should have a good monitoring network this year!
July 2 Update: Many growers have traps out now. I have not verified ANY SWD captures at this point. Very early in the season (May), an individual SWD was captured Downeast, but this was part of the overwintered population still in hibernation. I have verified at “look-alikes” to the SWD in southern, coastal, and Downeast Maine, but again as I stated no confirmed SWD has been captured in Maine as of today. This morning I received an email from a grower in Cherryfield that stated they caught a male SWD in their strawberry field. I will be checking this out to verify the capture shortly and let you know next week.
In the meantime, don’t forget about the blueberry larvae (BFF) threat. Get your traps out for them also. BFF was trapped last in Waldoboro, Maine last week. No need to panic as they have just started emerging in the coastal area AND adult females need seven to ten days of warm weather before they are capable of laying egg into RIPE fruit (which is only starting to appear in noticeable proportions in the coastal region.
NOTE: SWD updates will only be made when we have trap captures.