Flies in a bottle |
WENATCHEE, Wash. – In the course of a single year, a tiny insect has been damaging tree fruit around the globe. Spotted wing drosophila, or SWD, a type of vinegar or fruit fly, has been known in Japan, its home turf, for decades.
Beers looks for SWD |
The management strategy for SWD consists of a couple main components, Beers said. The first step is vigilance. Members of the Washington SWD detection team are driving about 1,200 miles per week to hang and retrieve traps baited with apple cider vinegar. “When we catch one fly in a region, we warn people with susceptible crops and recommend they use continuous pest protection until harvest,” Beers said.
Apple cider vinegar used as bait |
Another possible management technique under investigation is sanitation. As Beers pointed out, “Any Drosophilid can attack damaged fruit. SWD just has a couple weeks head start. Keeping fruit off the floor may lower pressure, but so far that is just a theory.”