Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) have been detected in the Valley and
North Eastern Nova Scotia from monitoring performed by researchers and
private consultants. Perennia has also been performing SWD monitoring across
the province this season in berry crop fields as part of Climate Adaptation Leadership
Program, with sites located in Aylesford, Sheffield Mills, Rawdon, Debert,
Oxford, and Parrsborro.
SWD
continues to be one of the most economically important insect pests affecting
small fruit production. Unlike common vinegar flies that infest overripe or
damaged fruit, SWD females possess a serrated egg-laying structure that allows
them to deposit eggs into ripening, marketable fruit. This unique capability
can result in rapid losses in blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries,
and other thin-skinned fruit crops if populations are not managed effectively.
With
SWD now present, it is important to begin implementing controls when fruit is
ripening up to harvest. For products available in your specific fruit crop
consult Perennia’s Pest Guides or contact your commodity
specialist.
Integrated Pest Management Specialist