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News & Pest Alerts

Weekly Fruit Update

Marissa Schuh provides weekly updates throughout the growing season. Read about her observations and recommendations on the Fruit and Vegetable News page site.

Long-term Biological Control of Japanese Beetle? A Winsome Fly Update

Bill Hutchison, Extension Entomologist, Ellie Meys, Undergraduate Student, & Erin Buchholz, Plant Health Specialist, Landscape Arboretum, University of Minnesota

Although Japanese beetle (JB) adults continue to be active throughout August to early September,  beetle numbers on most host plants/crops are beginning to decline. One factor causing the decline the Winsome fly (WF) (Istocheta aldrichi: Family Tachinidae), which lays its distinctive white eggs quite conspicuously just behind the head of JB adults (i.e., the pronotum; see photo, 2020). Read the article on the Fruit & Vegetable News blog.

 

Japanese Beetle & Fruit Crops: Mostly Good News

Bill Hutchison, Extension Entomologist, Eleanor Meys, Undergraduate Student, & Suzanne Wold-Burkness, Dept. of Entomology, University of Minnesota 

As of this week, and with the record number of days over 90F this summer, the Japanese beetle (JB) is rapidly approaching the end of its annual emergence curve. As of Monday, July 30th, we will be between 75-90% emergence for southern Minnesota. Read the article on the Fruit & Vegetable News blog.

Using hail netting for insect exclusion

Graduate student Sally Nelson describes how hail netting can be a useful IPM tool in the latest issue of the Good Fruit Grower.

Soil testing resources and support for fruit crops

Annie Klodd, University of Minnesota Extension educator, fruit and vegetable production

If you haven't already, now is the time to take soil samples. Read the article, with links to resources, on the Fruit & Vegetable News blog.