David Owens, Extension Entomologist, owensd@udel.edu
Strawberries
With the coming week’s warm weather forecast, scout strawberries for spider mites. Thresholds for plants beginning to flower are 15-20 mites per leaflet or 50% of sampled leaflets with mites on them. Also, be aware that any other specialty crop grown adjacent to strawberries will be at risk for large, early mite invasion.
Tree Fruit
Plum curculio is the most important peach fruit pest and a major pest of apples and cherry. As we move through shuck split and in the coming weeks with apple petal fall on the horizon, be sure to scout for adults and oviposition and feeding scars on the fruit. Oviposition scars are crescent shaped. Be on the lookout for crescent-moon shaped oviposition scars on fruit. Adult activity can be assessed by beating or shaking branches over a rigid beat sheet. Michigan State has a good article eon effective insecticide options here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/plum_curculio_management_in_stone_and_pome_fruits. In addition to the organic options described, organic producers and smaller plantings can be protected by bagging fruit. University of Kentucky has an excellent article on fruit bagging: https://kentuckypestnews.wordpress.com/2023/05/23/bagging-fruit-for-disease-and-insect-management/. Be sure to treat the fruit with a fungicide and insecticide (if at all possible) before bagging fruit.