Pest threatens Wisconsin fruit crops
UW-Madison fruit crop entomologist Christelle Guédot said they began studying the movements of the bug known as spotted wing drosophila within berry plants last summer. She said they found adult flies are most active in the evening hours.
Guédot said their research could give berry growers a better idea of when spraying insecticides is most effective. She said they’ll also look at whether temperature and humidity play a role in their distribution.
Results of the study should be available by the end of this year. Tiffany Chadwick, executive director of the Wisconsin Berry Growers Association, said their nearly 90 members have been contributing money towards research to help identify management practices to control damage from the invasive fruit fly that can cause fruit to deteriorate, change its appearance and ultimately cause fruit to be unmarketable.
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