Pest Management Pt 2

Pest Management Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Older, untended orchards and backyard fruit trees are pretty common breeding grounds for pests that are also some of the most difficult to manage.

Keith Mathews, with the Yakima County Pest Control Board, says this problem is something he runs into all the time …

MATHEWS … “And so, then you get in this situation where, again, it’s that breeding spot and my job for the industry is to go and negotiate with those people and say, you must spray or you must cut them down. We can’t have a home that just breeds apple maggot right here in downtown.”

And from there, the pests don’t have far to go to wreak havoc …

MATHEWS … “Sure, and it’s worth contemplating for a minute, an apple maggot, and adult fly on a little bit of wind can travel three miles into the edge of a commercial orchard where, if the farmer sees the damage he can spray and correct it, but otherwise they damage a whole lot of fruit.”

And in apple country, Mathews says it’s an even bigger problem …

MATHEWS … “You think of the size of Yakima, if you have a tree kind of on the edge of the city, three miles is a long way, for where we are, and into a lot of commercial property that those guys rely on every good apple to give them money. They’ve paid dearly all year long to keep it and to raise it and to make sure it’s good for the packing house.”

To hear more on managing our invasive pest, tune in to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association’s podcasts, Bearing Fruit, that can be found on many podcast apps, or through a link on the WSTFA website.

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