More thoughts on SWD trapping for 2013: How many traps should growers use?

After hearing several permutations on a similar question this week, namely "how many spotted wing drosophila (SWD) traps do I need to use?", I posted this information on the Strawberry Growers Information Portal.

More information
More on spotted wing drosophila monitoring: How many traps should growers use? - Strawberry Growers Information Portal

Spotted wing drosophila monitoring recommendations for 2013

Spotted wing drosophila traps in strawberry plots at the Horticultural Crops Research Station, Clayton, NC. Photo: HJB

Strawberries are just beginning to ripen in central North Carolina, so last week, we placed spotted wing drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii) traps in our research plots at the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clayton, NC.  Eagle eyed observers will noticed some differences in the traps in the photo above and those we placed in our SWD plots a few years ago.

Shading traps placed in strawberries

What's easily visible above is that our traps have "hats".  We added these hats because work from other labs suggested that SWD like shade and that leaving traps uncovered in strawberry plantings may catch fewer flies.  In a multistate comparison of SWD traps conducted in 2011, a trap with a "hat", referred to as the Haviland trap, caught more flies than other trap types in a range of different crops.  Hats are likely not necessarily in crops with shaded areas or where traps can be hung directly from host plants, like blueberries, cherries, and caneberries.

A Haviland-type SWD trap with a "hat".  In this case, the hat is meant to keep rain out. The Haviland trap performed well in a comparison of SWD traps during 2011.Photo: HJB

Bait recommendations

In previous years, we have used apple cider vinegar (ACV) as the primary bait in our SWD traps and for the SWD*VMN because early experiences suggested that it was easier to work with compared to a yeast & sugar slurry (the other bait we tested).  However, these early experiences were based on changing the baits less frequently than every week.  When baits are changed weekly, yeast & sugar lures appear to catch more flies and may catch flies earlier than ACV.  Therefore, for 2013, we're suggesting that SWD trappers consider using yeast & sugar lures rather than ACV.

In order to make the yeast & sugar bait, follow the steps below:

Ingredients for yeast & sugar slurry: yeast & sugar! Photo: HJB

1. Collect the bait ingredients, active yeast and plain sugar.

2. Combine 4 Tbsp sugar with 2 Tbsp yeast.

3. Add 32 fl oz of water to the dry ingredients and stir till the mixture is suspended. Do not store premixed bait in a sealed container.  It is actively fermenting (which is what attracts flies) and can explode.  It's easiest to mix bait as it's needed rather than premixing.

4. Fill traps with 150 ml of bait (or just over 5 fl oz) each.  Traps should be check and baits changed weekly.  The odors associated with these non preserved baits change over time, and after one week, they are likely less attractive to SWD.

A few other helpful hits for using yeast traps:

• Many other insects find fermenting yeasts attractive. Traps should have small entry holes, no more than 3/16 large.  Otherwise, larger insects such as beetles, filth flies, and moths will clog traps.
• Trap contents can be poured into a container for transport back to the office or lab rather than counted in the field.
• Do not discard used bait in the field.  We do not want to make our fields any more attractive to SWD than they already are!
• Kitchen sieves can be used to filter flies, but flies in yeast baits might need be rinsed after filtering to see wings, legs, and ovipositors (key ID characteristics) clearly. 

It's very likely that our bait recommendations will change for next year, based on experiments that are planned or already underway. SWD is an invasive species, meaning it's new to North Carolina, and many other areas. Therefore, many of our monitoring and management recommendations are subject to change.  We are all learning a lot of new information, as quickly as we can!

For the time being, we have not changed our trap recommendations. We are still suggesting using 32 oz plastic containers for 2013, although this recommendation is also subject to change, especially if commercially available traps become available that out perform homemade traps.

More information
Plan to monitor insects in 2013 - NC Small Fruit & Specialty Crop IPM

The future of the SWD*VMN for 2013 and beyond

Male (right) and female (left) spotted wing drosophila on a raspberry at the Upper Mountain Research Station, Laurel Springs, NC. Photo: HJB

For the last three years, we have coordinated the Spotted Wing Drosophila Volunteer Monitoring Network (SWD*VMN).  The goals of the SWD*VMN were:

1. To detect the movement of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) if or when it spread throughout the eastern United States
We began the SWD*VMN in 2010, when SWD had only been detected in Florida in the eastern US. The SWD*VMN facilitated the first detections of SWD in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Maryland.

2. To determine when during the year SWD are active and relative population densities throughout the year
SWD have been detected earlier each year in states where the SWD*VMN has been active.  In 2012 and 2013, some locations in the southeast caught flies throughout the entire winter. Peaks in trap captures in NC appear to occur in mid summer (July) and fall (after September), with fall populations appearing the largest.  However, these trap capture peaks are subject to interpretation because the traps and baits we use are likely not as attractive to SWD adults as fruit. 

Dates of first trap capture for eastern states participating in the SWD*VMN. Table from Burrack, et al. Journal of Integrated Pest Management.

3. To communicate and display information on detections and trap captures with growers and extension personnel
All trap captures from the SWD*VMN are available here (click on a county to link to the sites in that county and then click on site names to view data from that site). Our policy has been to only identify sites to county.

Along the way to accomplishing these goals, we've been able to gather some additional information. During 2010, we compared different lures at SWD*VMN sites and learned that some baits need to be changed more frequently than others. Our relative trap capture numbers have suggested that some crops may either foster lower SWD populations or be less conducive to our trapping methods.  For example, we catch more flies in shady crops such as caneberries and some grapes and fewer flies in crops with open, sunny canopies such as strawberries and blueberries.  Importantly, this does not necessarily mean that we have fewer flies in theses systems.

Where does the SWD*VMN go from here?
We have accomplished the initial goals of the SWD*VMN and reached the end of the funding which supported the large statewide (in NC) and multi state efforts (much thanks to the Southern Region Small Fruits Consortium and the NC Tobacco Trust Fund, Inc. for their support).  We have also produced a journal article article to more widely share our findings from the SWD*VMN.

Moving forward, we will maintain, and improve the SWD*VMN site for use by our lab and partners in other states to collect, store, and display SWD trap capture data. Collaborators in OR, TN, AR, NY, and other states have expressed interest in continuing to use the site.  The improvements on the way for the site include incorporating graphs to display data for each site and, in the more distant future, incorporating degree day models being developed for SWD by folks in the western US.

In our lab, we will be using the SWD*VMN to collect data from our planned 8 to 12 trapping locations throughout the state, most of which will be at NCSU or NCDA & CS Research Stations. However, we will no longer be directly facilitating large scale SWD monitoring through our laboratory.  We've posting lots of "do-it-yourself" SWD monitoring information and will be posting a monitoring update for 2013 later today.  Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about the SWD*VMN.

More information
SWD*VMN at EDDMapS
All SWD*VMN posts at NC Small Fruits & Specialty Crop IPM

Why are monitoring sites only listed by county?

You may have noticed that site names for the SWD*VMN are coded by county followed by a generic number.  I have also shared monitoring data online for the Grape Root Borer*Volunteer Monitoring Network (GRB*VMN) and for blueberry insect monitoring programs run by my laboratory, again with sites identified to the county level. I had a request via the comments on this blog for more detailed location information for one of our SWD*VMN monitoring sites. Because of this request, I wanted to clarify that it is my policy not to provide any geographic information about trapping locations below county.  The reason for this policy is two fold:

1. County is a established level for displaying insect (or other invasive organism) detection information.  See the National Agricultural Pest Information System for an example, and

2. All of our monitoring networks represent a patchwork of public & private and commerical & non commerical land. Because some commerical fruit growers have generously to allowed us, county extension agents, or others to trap on their land or have contributed their trapping data to our networks, we do not want to risk any potential harm to their business by sharing more information than necessary with the public.

The purpose of sharing insect monitoring data online is to provide information growers, homeowners, and other stakeholders can use in making management decisions.  It is not intended to replace site specific monitoring by growers or homeowners.  Just because an insect is being trapping in your county does not mean that it is present on your farm. Knowing exact trapping sites within a county would not change this.  Insect activity in your county does suggest, however, that it would be wise for you to go out and check your plants. Insect trapping data is also not intended for use by regulators or consumers.  Just because adult insects are active at sites does not necessarily mean that damage to crops is occurring.

Eagle eyed readers may have noticed that I will occasionally name a site when posting about trapping data.  I only do this for sites at state and/or university run research stations, like New Hanover 1, which is located at the Horticultural Crops Research Station near Castle Hayne, NC.  Because research stations are non commerical operations, identifying these sites does not compromise grower cooperator privacy.

Spotted wing drosophila adults trapped in North Carolina blueberry country

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) detections have begun earlier this year than in the previous two years the Spotted Wing Drosophila Volunteer Monitoring Network (SWD*VMN) has been active.   Now in addition to positive detections in Surry, Randolph, and Rowan Counties, SWD has been detected in southeastern North Carolina blueberries for the first time this year.

On April 5th, five male and five female SWD were captured in traps at the Horticultural Crops Research Station near Castle Hayne, NC. This site is New Hanover 1 in SWD*VMN, and you can see data from last year here.  You'll notice that last year, we caught our first fly here on May 9th, a full month later than our first capture this year.  You can see all the trap captures from this site, including those from last week and all future dates here.

What do these trap captures mean for growers in North Carolina?
The fact that we are catching flies at several locations throughout the state means that SWD are active.  This means that growers should be vigilant for both SWD adults and larvae on their farms.  Growers are strongly encouraged to monitor for SWD adults using the same traps we are using (learn how make and use SWD traps here and here).  However, we don't have a good handle on how trap captures relate to fruit infestation, which means that growers should also monitor fruit carefully (learn how to sample fruit and identify Drosophila spp. larvae here).  If SWD are present on your farm, we are currently recommending a fairly aggressive management strategy, because there is zero tolerance for larvae present in marketed fruit. Contact your county cooperative extension agent or Hannah for SWD management recommendations.

The SWD*VMN is supported by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Inc. and the NC Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

More information
Insect monitoring in NC Blueberries - 2011
Spotted wing drosophila adult trapping data - New Hanover 1
SWD*VMN

Southeast Strawberry Expo fast approaching

The 2011 Southeast Strawberry Expo is just two short weeks way.  This year's expo is in Durham, NC and immediately precedes the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association's Sustainable Agriculture Conference, also in Durham.

I will be presenting on when NOT to treat for insect and mite pests in strawberries.  This presentation will focus on identifying pest and beneficial arthropods and their damage, using treatment thresholds, and developing a monitoring program.  These are crucial skills for growers and homeowners alike, and I look forward to a lively session.  I speak on Monday, November 7th at 11am.

More information
North Carolina Strawberry Association

SWD trap captures in Ontario

Spotted wing drosophila trapping sites in Ontario, Canada. 2011.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) continues to appear in new and surprising places.  The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs has been monitoring 50 sites in 16 counties across Ontario, much like the SWD*VMN in the southeast.  SWD has now been detected at 21 of these monitoring locations, which new detections dramatically increasing in late September and early October, also similar to our detections in 2010 and 2011.

More information
Spotted wing drosophila - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs

Grape Root Borer*Volunteer Monitoring Network trapping data now available

The Grape Root Borer*Volunteer Monitoring Network (GRB*VMN) has been up and running for a month, but the first, substantial trap captures occurred last week. The network consists of 10 locations in 7 North Carolina counties. Trap captures from these sites will be available here through the end of October, when the grape root borer flight is expected to end.

2011 GRB*VMN sites. Sites are only identified to the county level and assigned a number for record keeping purposes when there are multiple sites per county.

Monitoring locations and trapping data are listed below, from east to west:

Jones County 1

Rowan County 1

Rowan County 2

Davie County 1

Yadkin County 1

Surry County 1

Surry County 2

Surry County 3

Wilkes County 1

Haywood County 1

The highest number of trap captures is currently in Davie County with a few other locations catching a few moths. It is interesting that our flight appears to be occurring so late in the year, since reports of moth captures begin in July last year. We are monitoring the grape root borer flight in North Carolina to better understand when and where our highest populations occur. This information is important when making grape root borer management decisions, in particular whether or not to use currently labeled pesticides, which must be used either 30 days before harvest or after harvest. If you are interested in monitoring grape root borer yourself, see here for more information.

More information Do it yourself - Grape root borer monitoring

Summer 2011 Spotted Wing Drosophila update

It's been a very busy week in the world of southeastern spotted wing drosophila (SWD). As of today, we have either confirmed or strongly suspected (pending confirmation) 2011 SWD detections in the following North Carolina Counties:

Anson

Ashe

Bladen

Craven

Durham

Edgecombe

Greene

Halifax

Henderson

Johnston

Jones

Lee

Lenoir

Lincoln

Cleveland

New Hanover

Onslow

Person

Pender

Rockingham

Sampson

Wake

Wayne

Both trap captures and reproductive activity have taken off in the last 3 weeks, which is similar to 2010, with our first detections occurring in July.

In addition, we have also detected SWD in Virginia for the first time in Hanover County and detected SWD in Barnwell County, SC (SWD was found in 2010 in Saluda, Lexington, and Spartanburg Counties, SC).

I will be posting links to trapping data for individual sites later this week; stay tuned.

Update, 27 July 2011
This morning, I confirmed SWD at 3 locations in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.

Update, 1 August 2011
SWD has now been confirmed from Davie, Halifax, Lincoln, Cleveland, Rowan, and Surry Counties in North Carolina and Sussex County in Virginia in 2011.

Update, 8 August 2011
SWD has now been confirmed from Frederick County in Virginia in 2011.

Update, 9 September 2011
SWD has now been confirmed from Macon County in North Carolina Montgomery County in Virginia in 2011.

SWD ID Guide

I have put together a series of images to assist in spotted wing drosophila (SWD) identification. These images and steps distinguish SWD from the most common similar flies in North & South Carolina and are not intended to be used for SWD identification in other locations. If you have not caught SWD previously, confirm your identification with a cooperative extension agent or entomologist!

More information
SWD ID Guide - Hannah Burrack

Do it yourself - Spotted wing drosophila monitoring

As we begin to find spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in more and more locations, growers and homeowners are expressing interest in monitoring for adult flies.  Our volunteer monitoring network uses simple, homemade traps that can be easily adapted for use by others. (Enlarge photos by clicking on them.)  

Trapping supplies include:
Apple cider vinegar (not "flavored")**
1 to 3 quart sized plastic containers with 10 to 12 1/4 inch holes one inch from the top
Unscented dishsoap
Forceps (not shown)
Sieve (not shown)
Solid containers (not shown)
Sorting tray (not shown)
Sample vials (not shown)
Yellow sticky cards (optional)
Cellophane (optional)
Microscope, magnifier, or hand lens (preferred)

**Update, 18 April 2013 - For 2013, we are suggesting that yeast & sugar baits be used instead of apple cider vinegar. Read about how to make and use yeast & sugar lures here.

Many of the trapping supplies can be either be purchased at the grocery store (the deli section will often let you have a few quart sized (32 oz) containers) or through online retailers.  I either use a soldering iron or a 1/4 inch drill bit to punch 12 holes in each trap.  I then string a hanger (nylon cord) through 2 opposite holes.  Yellow sticky cards, forceps, and magnifiers can be purchased from several sources*; I order ours from Great Lakes IPM or BioQuip.

Traps are baited with 1 to 2 inches of apple cider vinegar.

Yellow sticky cards increase the attractiveness of the traps, but also make it more difficult to distinguish female flies from native Drosophila spp.

Because yellow sticky cards improve trap attraction, we are using them at SWD volunteer monitoring network sites where we have not previously caught SWD.  However, because the yellow sticky cards complicate SWD identification & trap processing, we stop using them once SWD is confirmed at a location.

Traps should be hung directly from plants (blueberries, caneberries, grapes, fruit trees, etc.) or placed in the fruit zone of low growing plants (strawberries) near fruit.  SWD prefer shady areas with available moisture, so traps hung in these areas are most likely to catch flies.

This trap was hung from the trellis wire near a heavily fruiting blackberry plant.

Traps should be checked at least weekly.  If using yellow sticky cards, they should be removed, wrapped in cellophane, and marked with the date and trap number.

Sticky cards are only changed if suspected SWD are present or if they are no longer sticky.

A regular kitchen sieve (8 or 10 gage mesh) is small enough to prevent adult SWD from passing through.

Using a 8 to 10 gage mesh sieve (a standard kitchen sieve or sink strainer works well), filter apple cider vinegar into a solid container.

Be sure to line up the holes in the trap with the sieve to avoid spilling vinegar. 

After you have filtered the vinegar, return it to the trap and refill to 1 to 2 inches.  You can reuse the apple cider vinegar but should completely change it at least every 4 weeks.  Used apple cider vinegar should be discarded away from the field so as not to attract flies away from traps.  We are currently studying how long apple cider vinegar and other lures are attractive to SWD, so recommendations on reusing lures may change.

Replace traps after they have been refilled.  

Rinse collected insects off the sieve in to the solid sample container and return them to the office  or lab to process.

The collected insects should be compared to voucher specimens (right) or images of known SWD.

While male SWD are readily distinguishable with little or no magnification, female SWD are more difficult to identify.  Ideally, suspected female SWD (flies that are similar is size, shape, and color to voucher specimens) should be observed under 20x magnification.  The key distinguishing characteristic for female SWD is their large, serrated ovipositor.

The ovipositor of female SWD is large, serrated, and readily distinguished from native Drosophila spp.

Can you spot the male SWD?

Compare suspected SWD to known voucher specimens (available upon request from Hannah).

If you suspect that you have captured SWD adults, check your identification with your cooperative extension agent, extension specialist, the NC Plant Disease & Insect Clinic, or other experts.

Because we are still learning about SWD biology in North America (and the southeast), our current management recommendations are conservative.  I suggest the growers who capture SWD at their farm utilize pesticide treatments (either conventional or organic).  See here for a list of management tools available for North Carolina small fruit growers and their likely efficacy against SWD.  This list is only applicable to North Carolina growers.  If you are outside NC, consult your local cooperative extension agent for registered management tools.  You can find your local cooperative extension office here.

*Does not imply endorsement of named vendors over others.

More information

SWD monitoring information, including instructional videos - SWD @ OSU

Blueberry maggot and sharpnosed leafhopper monitoring data now available UPDATE: SWD data now added

Last summer, we conducted extensive blueberry maggot monitoring at 14 North Carolina locations with the goal of determining the size of our populations, improving management tools, and ideally, minimizing pesticide applications. We found that blueberry maggot populations in southeastern North Carolina are very low. We caught a grand total of 3 flies after checking our traps over 1600 times! This year, we have expanded our program to include 15 locations and included traps to monitoring spotted wing drosophila (at 10 locations) and sharpnosed leafhoppers (at 15 locations).

All of our traps are checked weekly (as we recommend), and our data are uploaded the following day. Blueberry maggot and sharpnosed leafhopper captures to date are available below and will be updated as new data are added. Scroll over data points for site and trap capture information.

These trap capture data are collected in Bladen, Pender, and New Hanover Counties in North Carolina and are intended to support the insect management programs of blueberry growers in these areas. As always, management decisions should be made based on site-specific information!






UPDATE
Spotted wing drosophila captures have now been added and will also be updated weekly. New Hanover 1 is located at the Ideal Tract of the Horticultural Crops Research Station, Castle Hayne, NC.



The graphs were too busy when fly sex was included, but it is worth noting that the first flies captured at New Hanover 1 and Bladen 5 were both female. The first male SWD in southeastern NC was captured at New Hanover 1 on Friday, May 20th. This is particularly important for growers, because female flies are more difficult for non expert observers to identify. If female flies consistently appear before males in the spring (as has been observed on the west coast), growers must carefully check trap captures to ensure that they do not miss the beginning of SWD activity and treat in a timely fashion.

SWD detected in southeastern North Carolina

SWD trap at Horticultural Crops Research Station Ideal Track, near Castle Hayne, NC during 2010. Photo: HJB

In addition to an update on our blueberry maggot monitoring program and a review of SWD monitoring, attendees at of the Blueberry Field Day this past Sunday also got a preview of major SWD monitoring news. On Sunday, I captured the first SWD of 2011 in southeastern North Carolina. A female SWD was captured in an apple cider vinegar baited trap at the Ideal Track of the Horticultural Crops Research Station near Castle Hayne, NC. There are 2 important notes about this trap capture:

1. This fly was caught at a research station, not on commercial grower land.

2. A single female fly was captured, and no larvae have been found in NC fruit in 2011.

SWD detection near NC blueberry growing areas does mean that growers must be vigilant. For growers who treat for blueberry maggot, many, but not all, of the same insecticides are effective against SWD. See here for a list insecticides labeled in blueberries and their possible efficacy against SWD. Growers who are not managing blueberry maggot should carefully consider their management options if SWD has been found on or near their farm.

We are currently monitoring SWD at 31 locations in North and South Carolina. In addition, cooperators are monitoring sites in Georgia, Arkansas, and Virginia. In southeastern North Carolina, there are currently 10 locations on or near blueberry farms. To date, we have captured only one other SWD in 2011, in March in Henderson County at another NCSU research station. These monitoring data will be posted on this blog this week.

More information

Insecticides registered for use in blueberries & their potential use against SWD

Grape Root Borer Volunteer Monitoring Network (GRB*VMN) Seeking Participants

Grape root borer (Vitacea polistiformis) adults. Photo: University of Florida

I was extremely pleased with the success of the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) volunteer monitoring network in 2010. While fielding lots of questions about grape root borer last summer, I realized that this insect would be a great fit for a volunteer monitoring program. In many ways, grape root borer is an even better candidate for a volunteer monitoring program than SWD. The adults are easy to identify, pheromone lures are reasonably specific, and there is only 1 possible generation in North Carolina.

Why do we need a monitoring network for grape root borer?

We have huge gaps in our knowledge of this pest in North Carolina. Many of these gaps stem from the fact that grape root borer has a 1-2 year life cycle (depending on temperature and location in the state), making it hard to do research on. We need to understand the extent and size of our grape root borer populations relative to our vineyards, and we need to understand the seasonal biology of grape root borer (when they begin emerge as adults and for how long this emergence lasts). Both of these needs require a large scale monitoring effort over a wide area. I cannot do this type of research by myself, but I can train interested grower and non grower volunteers to monitor a few locations in their vineyards. If we attract enough volunteers, we can build a powerful data set in 2 years that will allow us to maximize future research efforts.

If this sounds interesting, see below about how to get involved!

What is the Grape Root Borer Volunteer Monitoring Network (GRB*VMN)?

GRB*VMN is a group of North Carolina grape (muscadine and bunch grape) growers and others who are interested in increasing our understanding of grape root borer, an important insect pest of grape vines. We are recruiting volunteers from throughout the state who currently grow grapes.

Why should I join the GRB*VMN?

We will determine the presence and emergence timing of grape root borer in North Carolina grapes. This information is important for developing management programs for grape root borer. We currently only have 1 tool (a pesticide) available, and its use restrictions limit its effectiveness. We need more information about grape root borer biology to support the development and registration of more tools, including non-chemical options.

What will I get from the GRB*VMN?

You will receive:

4 GRB traps & pheromone, Training on trapping and GRB identification, Access to data from your farm and all participating farms (through this blog and regular email alerts).

What do I need to do to participate in the GRB*VMN?

You must agree to check traps weekly from May through October & enter data online. Checking traps should take no more than 1 hour per week.

More informationContact Hannah Burrack for more information on the GRB*VMN and how to get involved!

I will be at a grape field day in Surry County tomorrow (February 18th) to discuss GRB monitoring and recruiting volunteers for the GRB*VMN. See here for details and location.

New blueberry maggot trap captures in southeastern NC

Blueberry maggot flies were captured at our southeastern monitoring sites on July 14th. One male each were trapped at Site 2 and Site 12 (you cannot see Site 2 in the figure below). Both locations still have a considerable amount of fruit left to harvest. Southern highbush fruit have long been harvested, but rabbiteye berries remain on the bushes.

Blueberry maggot captures in southeastern monitoring locations.

Prior to this, only 1 blueberry maggot fly was captured at Site 5 (in Bladen County). All 3 locations where flies have been captured are treating aerially with malathion (the grower standard for BBM management in the Calendar spray program), while no flies have been captured at either of our 2 untreated locations (Sites 3 and 14). At our monitoring location outside of the commercial blueberry production region in Rockingham County, we caught 33 flies on July 14th. Our Rockingham County location is also not treated.

Because our last southeastern trap capture was a month ago, this begs the questions as to whether the flies we are observing now are part of the same emerging cohort of adults or if they are newly emerged, and therefore, targeting rabbiteye fruit. Either of these are possible, as many tephritid fruit flies can be fairly long lived (a one month life span would not be unheard of). Unfortunately, we cannot say how the old the flies we captured were because they were male. The ovaries of female flies can be dissected to roughly determine if flies are very young or relatively old, but there are not reliable tools or aging male flies. We'll be keeping an eye out for female flies to shed some light on this trapping pattern.

Live updated southeastern blueberry maggot captures

SWD trap captures now available

Our spotted wing drosophila monitoring locations have been trapping since May in most cases, and now our trapping data is available online. The links below lead to a figure for each site, which are updated as new data are entered. Right now, these figures all look the same since SWD trap captures have been 0 for each site until recently. Two of our locations, one in SC and one in NC have detected SWD, but these data have not yet been entered in the online database. Look for post early this week with the details of these trap captures. I will also be posting a map with links to these locations early next week.

For ease of display, dates are converted into ordinal dates (the number of the date in the year). See here to convert an ordinal date back to a calendar date. If a figure says "no data", this means that trap captures from that site have not yet been entered, not necessarily that there is no data at this time.

Monitoring locations by state (in order from East to West):

South Carolina Locations

Charleston County, SC

Barnwell County, SC

Lexington County, SC. Site 2

Lexington County, SC. Site 1

Saluda County, SC

Spartanburg County, SC

North Carolina Locations

Brunswick County, NC

Edgecombe County, NC

Wanye County, NC

Johnston County, NC
Lee County, NC

Montgomery County, NC

Randolph County, NC, Site 2

Randolph County, NC. Site 1

Davidson County, NC

Gaston County, NC

Cleveland County, NC

Alexander County, NC

Wilkes County, NC

Henderson County, NC. Site 1
Henderson County, NC. Site 2 (This site was established by Dr. Jim Walgenbach at the Mountain Horticultural Research Station on 9 September 2010 in response to nearby trap captures and resulted in immediate detection.)

Virginia Locations

Frederick County, VA. Site 1

Frederick County, VA. Site 2

Montgomery County, VA

Sponsored by the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium, Project 2010 E-01.

SWD Monitoring Network Seeking Volunteers

As I posted at the beginning of the month, our SWD monitoring network, to be targeting initially in NC, SC, and VA, has been funded. We are now seeking volunteers interested in joining this network. The ideal volunteer is a county extension agent, master gardner, regional agronomist, or agricultural consultant, but any interested party is encouraged to participate.

We will provide training (via webinars) on SWD ID & trapping methods and regular updates on trap captures. All trapping materials and supplies will also be provided. Trap maintenance should take no more than 1-2 hours per week.

If this sounds like a project you would be interested in, please fill out the survey at this link. Training will begin mid March, and trapping will begin mid April. If you have questions, contact Hannah.