Pests and the Public Pt 1

Pests and the Public Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Pests are, as we know, a big challenge for our Northwest tree fruit industry. It’s a problem growers have to deal with constantly to protect their livelihood.

But it’s not just a problem for commercial growers. There are many untended orchards and backyard fruit trees that don’t get the care that they need, that are a major breeding ground for pests like apple maggots and the coddling moth, and they’re not good neighbors.

Keith Mathews, with the Yakima County Pest Board, says taking care of these outliers would be a big help …

MATHEWS … “Because otherwise, they are great homes for pests, particularly apple maggot, that grow there and breed there and don’t have any natural enemies, and then fly off to cause the neighboring conventional, commercial grower a whole lot of expense in dealing with those bugs.”

A lot of times, Mathews says it happens when somebody new moves to the area …

MATHEWS … “The first thing they do is go to Home Depot and buy four apple trees and put them in the ground because they think, ooh, Yakima is apple country. In those three years since then, I don’t believe they’ve sprayed anything at all and I don’t think they will.”

And so, how is that a problem? …

MATHEWS … “So again, we create a host, a place for apple maggot, if they get started there, to breed and live and be happy, and then fly off to cause commercial growers additional sprays and additional costs and cullage and loss.”

Tune in tomorrow for more on reducing the breeding grounds for invasive pests like apple maggot and coddling moth and how the public can help.

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