Upcoming Events | Trap Catches | Insects | General Info

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Upcoming Events | Trap Catches | Insects | General Info

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Upcoming Events | Trap Catches | Insects | General Info

Geneva Predictions:
Codling Moth
Codling moth development as of August 27: 2nd generation adult emergence at 100% and 2nd generation egg hatch at 93%.

[NOTE: Consult our mini expert system for arthropod pest management, the
Apple Pest Degree Day Calculator:
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ipm/specware/newa/appledd.php
Find accumulated degree days between dates with the
Degree Day Calculator:
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ipm/specware/newa/
Powered by the NYS IPM Program’s NEWA weather data and the Baskerville-Emin formula]

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   This season has been more hot and dry than last year, a situation that opened up the potential for outbreaks from some typical warm-weather pests.  However, most arthropod pest problems have been fairly well attended to by NY growers, so surprises and crisis infestations have been relatively few.  As the harvest approaches, we're nearly done with the last of the pest management duties.

   Of greatest potential concern are the internal leps, which have been plentiful enough in the normal trouble spots, and there are still oriental fruit moths and even a few codling moths flying in some blocks.  Therefore, to be cautious, we're not ruling out the possibility that blocks with a history of internal worm problems might need a last-minute application of a short-PHI material to help stave off the final feeding injury caused by young larvae.  Before the harvest period begins in earnest, a fruit examination could help determine whether the last brood of any of the likely species needs a final deterrent before the sprayer is put away.  Some thought might be given to using an alternative material such as a B.t., a pyrethroid, Calypso, Assail, or a sprayable pheromone, as appropriate (watch your PHIs).

   Another season-end problem that may deserve attention now is pearleaf blister mite, a sporadic pest of pears that shows up in a limited number of commercial pear orchards and is a fairly common problem in home plantings.  The adults are very small and cannot be seen without a hand lens; the body is white and elongate oval in shape, like a tiny sausage.  The mite causes three distinct types of damage.  During winter, the feeding of the mites under the bud scales is believed to cause the bud to dry and fail to develop.  This type of damage is similar to and may be confused with bud injury from insufficient winter chilling.  Fruit damage is the most serious aspect of blister mite attack.  It occurs as a result of mites feeding on the developing pears, from the green-tip stage through bloom, causing russet spots.  These spots, which are often oval in shape, are usually depressed with a surrounding halo of clear tissue.  They are 1/4-1/2 inch in diameter and frequently run together.  A third type of injury is the blistering of leaves; blisters are 1/8-1/4 inch across and, if numerous, can blacken most of the leaf surface.  Although defoliation does not occur, leaf function can be seriously impaired by a heavy infestation.

   The mite begins overwintering as an adult beneath bud scales of fruit and leaf buds, with fruit buds preferred.  When buds start to grow in the spring, the mites attack developing fruit and emerging leaves.  This produces red blisters in which female blister mites then lay eggs.  These resulting new colonies of mites feed on the tissue within the protection of the blister, but they can move in and out through a small hole in its center.  The mites pass through several generations on the leaves but their activity slows during the warm summer months.  The red color of the blisters fades and eventually blackens.  Before leaf fall, the mites leave the blisters and migrate to the buds for the winter.

   For those plantings that might be suffering from this errant pest, a fall spray is recommended sometime in early October, when there is no danger of frost for at least 24-48 hr after the spray.  Use Sevin 50 WP (2 lb/100), or 1-1.5% oil plus either Diazinon 50WP (1 lb/100 gal) or Thionex 50WP (1/2-1 lb/100 gal).  A second spray of oil plus Thionex, in the spring, just before the green tissue begins to show, will improve the control.

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Upcoming Events | Trap Catches | Insects | General Info

   Please remember to make plans to attend this year's N.Y. Fruit Pest Control Field Day, which will take place during Labor Day week on Sept. 5 and 6.  The Geneva installment will take place first (Wednesday Sept. 5), with the Hudson Valley segment on the second day (Thursday Sept. 6).  Activities will commence in Geneva on the 5th, with registration, coffee, etc., in the lobby of Barton Lab at 8:30 am.

[NOTE: Collier Dr., the entry road adjacent to Barton Lab, is under repair and will probably still be closed off, so it will be easier to drive into the Station using the Pre-Emption Rd. entrance closest to the Ag Tech Park, and then take the southern road around the back of the greenhouses to get to the Barton parking lot.] 

   The tour will proceed to the orchards to view plots and preliminary data from field trials involving new fungicides, bactericides, miticides, and insecticides on tree fruits and grapes.  It is anticipated that the tour of field plots will be completed by noon.  On the 6th, participants will register at the Hudson Valley Laboratory starting at 8:30, after which we will view and discuss results from field trials on apples/pears.

This material is based upon work supported by Smith Lever funds from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Scaffolds is published weekly from March to September by Cornell University -- NYS Agricultural Experiment Station (Geneva), and Ithaca -- with the assistance of Cornell Cooperative Extension. New York field reports welcomed. Send submissions by 3 p.m. Monday to:

Scaffolds Fruit Journal
Editors: A. Agnello, D. Kain
Dept. of Entomology, NYSAES
P.O. Box 462
Geneva, NY 14456-0462
Phone: 315-787-2341 FAX: 315-787-2326
E-mail: ama4@cornell.edu

Online at <http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scaffolds/>