Weekly Insect Bytes - Planning For Early Summer Insect Pest Control

 

The insect pest control updates presented below are for South-central Pennsylvania based on observations in Adams County. To view the insect hatch and trapping data for all major insect pests, please visit the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center (FREC) website. For control recommendations, refer to the Insect and Mite Control Toolbox.

 

 

This past week we established biofixes for codling moth and tufted apple bud moth. If insecticides are planned for the control of codling moth, the first application should be made sometime around May 23rd when according to the CM egg hatch model we should observe about 8 percent egg hatch (traditional first cover application). Products such as Altacor®, Belt®, Delegate®, Tourismo® or Voliam® Flexi or Voliam Xpress are very effective choices for the control of CM larvae. Based on the degree-day model for the Oriental fruit moth egg hatch, the hatch of OFM eggs should be almost completed by next weekend (forecasted 99 percent OFM egg hatch by May 23rd). The first timing for the control of TABM will happen most likely about 2 to 3 weeks from now.  Products recommended for CM control will also provide excellent control of remaining OFM larvae and some residual activity against TABM larvae.

 

During this past week we continued to collect multiple brown marmorated stink bug adults in traps placed around fruit orchards. Traps baited with one of the two most common lures - Stink Bug Xtra Combo (from Ag-Bio,Inc.) - and Stink Bug Rescue lure (Sterling International, Inc.) and placed on the edges of orchards bordering woods were most likely to capture BMSB adults.

 

If not controlled before the bloom, scale insects can still be controlled with a post-bloom application of Esteem® or Centaur® with an addition of a low rate of oil, or application(s) of Movento®. Excellent coverage is necessary for effective control of scale insects. Growers should use a minimum of 100 gallons per acre (GPA) or more depending on the size of their trees.

 

The suppression of European red mite populations around bloom time should help to manage mites later during the season.  Agri-Mek® with a penetrant (i.e., oil) applied at petal fall, in most cases offers excellent control of ERM and STLM, and fair to good control of WALH.  Agri-Mek should be applied before the leaves harden off, within about 10 days of petal fall. The ovicidal acaricides - Apollo® or Onager® (Savey) - can be applied during the petal fall to first cover period.

 

If hand applied mating disruption materials (Isomate™, CheckMate™  or Cidetrak™ products) are planned for the control of CM, OFM, dogwood borer, peach tree borer or lesser peach tree borer, it is still not too late to place pheromone dispensers in orchards.

 

In the Biglerville area (FREC orchards) the 2015 season biofix for Oriental fruit moth was established on April 26; spotted tentiform leafminer on April 12, codling moth on May 07 and tufted apple bud moth on May 10. All pheromone traps for monitoring fruit pests should be already placed in orchards. The flights of obliquebanded leafroller (OBLR), peach tree borer (PTB) and dogwood borer (DWB) are expected to start in less then 2 weeks.