Written By: Emily Cabrera Expert Sources: Angel Acebes-Doria, Brett Blaauw, Shimat Joseph, and Will Hudson, Extension entomologists Early Monitoring If you are a pecan grower, monitoring efforts for ambrosia beetle should begin now, especially if you are planting new trees or have trees less than three years in your orchard….
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San Jose Scale are predicted to be particularly bad this year for peach growers, as this pest is active in temperatures over 51oF, “so we’ve already had a lot of days for this pest population to grow” said Dr. Brett Blaauw, UGA Peach Entomologist. “This pest is so pervasive in the southeast that we really don’t recommend scouting, because it’s time and labor intensive and not always accurate. We know this pest exists in every orchard and we know it will need to be managed.”
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is the most economically significant insect pest in berry production in the southeast. They survive all year round, in every landscape, and the presence of just one egg, larva, pupa, or fly can render an entire harvest unmarketable. Scout early and manage this pest for a productive year.
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Although blueberry gall midge has historically been referred to as a rabbiteye problem, recently it has been reported to be a concern in some southern highbush fields. The majority of the highbush infestations were primarily reported in older blocks and those surrounded by rabbiteye blueberries. The southern highbush varieties that infestations have been reported include Emerald, Farthing, Meadowlark, and Star. If you haven’t already done so, start monitoring and if you observe gall midge larvae or adults in your orchard, implement management strategies immediately.
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