10/03/07 Codling Moth Conundrum

Codling Moth Conundrum. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Ornamental trees are beautiful additions to yards, parks and lining city streets. But recently it has been found that they also act as a host to the one pest fruit growers in Washington have been trying to eliminate, the codling moth. The problem came to light when ornamental pear tree were used to line a boulevard in Pasco, Washington and according to Tim Smith, WSU Extension agent, everyone got a surprise. SMITH: They're a nice shade tree and until now we all, meaning the greater entomological world has assumed in the absence of any other evidence had assumed they were pretty much pest free. They don't seem to get many of the problems that pear trees get. This was a surprise I think to everyone. It was general knowledge that ornamental fruit trees could not support a pest like codling moth but that has since proven wrong. Codling moth are one pest that export market don't want any part of and it doesn't take much for those markets to shut their doors to U.S. fruit. Smith says that orchardist's pest management plans should be adopted by the general public if they want these trees around. SMITH: In the past what we're really had to concentrate on was codling moth in peoples backyard trees and cherry fruit flies in peoples backyard trees, the rest of it is pretty easy but now all of a sudden the host range has expanded on codling moth so towns are going to play an important part in integrated pest management in a negative way. These kinds of ornamental trees can also play host to apple maggot and Smith says if you feel you want these trees in your yards, you must learn how to take care of them. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.