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I spotted my 1st SWD (spotted wing drosophila) yesterday and more this morning. I think the recent rain and the cracking and splitting has really invited them in. These guys are very hard to control fearing for the 2nd year my fig season might be effectively over way to early. What effective methods have folks found battling them. I don't know if organza bags will keep them off, but I am going to use a few on select later figs, but overall they will not work on the scale I need. I am getting lots of yellow jackets on my figs, but at least they don't turn every fig into a slimy maggot crawling glob. OT but interested in others having issues with large hornets as well. I used to think they were Asian, but now think they are European hornet, Vespa crabro They are not on my figs bad but destroying my pears. I can grow nice pears without much care. The Asian russeted ones almost perfect in appearance as well, but these hornets destroying them prior to being ripe.
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You may only view thumbnails in this gallery. This gallery has 5 photos.Phil North Georgia Zone 7 Looking for: All of them, and on and on, -
Dang Phil, you have as many critters as I do. Just different types. Birds, chipmunks, squirrels and voles here.newnandawg 7b Newnan, GA -
I missed a Paradiso Gene that went overripe this morning and I saw my first yellojacket devouring it. Time for poison.Rafael
Zone 10b, Miami, FLComment
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Lost the last 2 Beers Black breba to Yellow Jackets yesterday, but I still ate the uneaten halves. Hope its not a sign of things to come with hundreds of figs now at the stagnant stage...
Two years ago it was Bald Face Hornets near the end of the growing season in early fall.Pete R - Hudson Valley, NY - zone 5bComment
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I had to look SWD up because I don't think I've seen them before but OSU seems to rate "Dimethoate 4E" highly at least on cherry trees. Looks pretty grose.
Don - OH Zone 6a Wish list: Verdolino, Black CelesteComment
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I eat part of wasp damaged fruit, the wasps I can live with. I have eaten SWD fruit as well. Yes I ate maggots a few times last year before I figured out what was happening. I think when I figured out I lost my stomach. More people have to be having this issue than me? If you are tasting fruit starting to sour look close squeeze the pulp anything wiggling show up?
I have done reading on SWD and need to do some more. There are chemicals effective on them, but application plan is what I need to work out. Not sure how many are listed for figs either. I might have to adjust my ripeness gauge. I probably eat figs newnandawg and harborseal think are past, SWD really love the ripe fruit as well as open eyes and cracking of the skin, but they will infest figs not close enough for ripe for me as well. I hope sanitary control helps some.
Phil North Georgia Zone 7 Looking for: All of them, and on and on,Comment
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From the standpoint of agricultural chemicals, not sure how much testing is done with figs. I know there are some listed for use with soft berries, some schedules put out by state ag depts for use on soft fruit that might be adaptable.
I did see SWD on my early fall raspberries last season, that ended when it got colder in the fall. I then got 3 weeks of good raspberries before frost then, though that is not much help with figs.
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Phil, I think I have seen you eat a couple figs that I would call rotten.
I have looked at some of my "ripe" figs but have not seen anything on them. It must be
a North Georgia Mountain thing. LOLnewnandawg 7b Newnan, GAComment
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*sigh* Jaboticabas are easier, man.Comment
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Yuck!Phil
Zone 7A - Newark, DE; Zone 8A - Wilmington, NC;Comment
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I usually find that the yellow jackets use old vole tunnels for their nests. I keep an eye out for them heading into a hole and then kill them at night. So far, my wife has been better at finding the nests. One day, she decide to rake near the blueberries. found a nest there. Another day, she decided to mow near the dog"s fence, found a nest there. And yes, she did get stung both times.Hi my name is Art. I buy fig cuttings-so I can grow more figs-so I can sell more figs-so I can buy more fig cuttings-so I can grow more figs....Comment
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I tried to get some pics of the spawn from Hell SWDs but my old Iphone4 and lack of camera skills best I could get. Thinking maybe my tomatoes that have faded but have some old rotting fruit on them might have built their population up, but I did not see any on them on tomatoes this evening. The traps they discuss mostly for early detection not control, but I might set some up. Really not keen on direct spray on my fig plants
You may only view thumbnails in this gallery. This gallery has 2 photos.Phil North Georgia Zone 7 Looking for: All of them, and on and on,Comment
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What about the bags or pheromone traps?
Sonic repellers?
Predators, guinea hens are voracious insectivores, might be worth a look.Scott - Colorado Springs, CO - Zone 4/5 (Depending on the year) - Elevation 6266ft
“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.” – Bill MollisonComment
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The European hornets,Bald-faced hornets,Yellow jackets,wasps,and June bugs attack my figs when they are ripening.I have to dispose of any rotten or damaged figs daily or the pest problem gets worse.I killed 5 European hornets with a 2' long piece of garden hose a while ago as they were circling the back porch light.They usually show up just as it gets dark.I wish that I could find their nest and get rid of the source.
Both of the hornets,June Bugs,and Sapsuckers start the attacks on my pears.I picked my Seckel pears when they started ripening about 7-30 and I ended up canning 27 quarts about a week later with a lot of waste from damaged pears.This year the Seckels ripened early.I'm guessing that my Bartlett pears will ripen towards the end of September.Barry
NE GA ,Zone 7b Low Temperature of 4F in 2015,17F in 2016,17F in 2017,6F in 2018,17F in 2019Comment
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I didn't realize anybody had issues with SWD on figs. There is a large population of SWD in the area and cherry growers must spray for SWD but I've not noticed any maggots even in the spoiled figs I've found. Maybe need to look a little closer at what I'm eating!
My fig photos <> My fig cuttings (starts late January) <> My Youtube VideosComment
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I dread the day SWD arrives here, nasty things. I've already got enough pests going after my fruit, last thing I need is fruit flies in my ripening fruits! I'm probably going to tear out my blackberries and put in more earlier season black raspberries because of SWD concerns.
Spinosid products and malathion are reportedly showing good effectiveness against SWD, but as you know the research is still pretty limited and I didn't see any specifically for figs.Comment
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SWD, for me..only go after figs with cracks or open eyes. I know bags are a pain, but this will work.
Supplies- Apple Maggot Control Bags/144 Bags
Apple Maggot Control Bags/144 Bags
Protect your Apples and Pears from Apple Maggot infestations. While thinning to one per cluster, usually in May or early June, slip the opening of the tan colored nylon bag, with your two index fingers, just enough to completely cover the new, ideally nickel size fruitlet. The bag will fill with the growing fruit and protect it. This product has been used successfully here at Raintree and by many fruit hobbyists. They are quick and easy to use! These new heavier weave bags provide extra codling moth protection. Instructions included! (Money from the sale of each box goes to fruit disease control research at WSU Mt. Vernon station.)
If it didn't copy, they are Apple Maggot Control Bags. Available at multiple places. Basically they are nylon footies like they have at shoe stores for trying on shoes. Cover the fig loosely, wrap the end around the stem and slightly tuck the free end under if you feel like it. The tiny hairs on fig stems hold the bag on the stem pretty well so don't need to tie, just tuck.
It helps to really be on top of cleaning up any rotting fruit and getting it off your propery(not composting) so you don't just breed more. We are moving so I didn't get around to it, but I was going to buy a couple of small bug zappers to try this year. The SWD are attracted to my head lamp at night so I figured that would probably knock the numbers down.
Oh, and they will keep the wasps off your fruit too. That is actually the reason I bought them years ago.
Calvin, Wish list is to finish working on the new house, someday.
Bored? Grab a rake, paint roller, or a cordless drill and come over!Comment
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I have some Organza bags on order I am going to try a on few later figs like my Black Maderia because last year SWD got them all. Maybe next year few bags on the pears. I hope as the pears production increases in future years only some get sacrificed to the hornets. I have not been up to my other property with the older more productive pears in a few weeks and likely missed my Seckels this year. In the long run bagging either would not work unless I reduced my trees drastically.
I am trying to reduce the damaged figs, but maybe not well enough I have been dropping and grinding into the ground and the remnants dry up quick. I think before the maggots maturePhil North Georgia Zone 7 Looking for: All of them, and on and on,Comment
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Thought this trap info might be worthwhile to some.
Kerry - NH zone 5Comment
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Last year I had tons of those traps around my property. I caught a good deal of them, but there were still plenty of SWD around to ruin my blackberries. We got some black berries and good amount of raspberries, but you have to pick them early and I'm sure they are probably in the berries but just haven't grown enough to be noticeable and sour the fruit yet.
I'm hoping they aren't at my new house. I still think that multiple small bug zappers may be the ticket for the home fruit growers.Calvin, Wish list is to finish working on the new house, someday.
Bored? Grab a rake, paint roller, or a cordless drill and come over!Comment
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Scott - Colorado Springs, CO - Zone 4/5 (Depending on the year) - Elevation 6266ft
“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.” – Bill MollisonComment
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Phil, I have joined the crowd dealing with these insects. All of a sudden I have
a major infestation. As for using the organza bags, they do not help. Some
of my bags are loaded with them even when I tighten the bag around the stem
as tight as possible. I hate to think of spraying and I know you do also with
your large orchard. Check this out http://msdssearch.dow.com/PublishedL...romPage=GetDoc
and this http://www.ipm.msu.edu/uploads/files...D_Bulletin.pdf
and http://www.dowagro.com/en-us/usag/pr...ides/entrustsc
and finally http://www.groworganic.com/monterey-...te-gallon.htmlnewnandawg 7b Newnan, GAComment
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Have you noticed if any varieties are resistant Phil?
You might be able to manage their hosts and limit the damage a little bit next year. http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/spotted...ropshosts.html. Some things like pokeweed I would have never thought of..Comment
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Mike,
Sorry to hear that, but only surprised it took them this long to find you. Once they show up for the season they will not let you have your figs ugly ripe the way we like them. Makes early figs that much more important. Think I read you just had a couple days of heavy rains, I have had a barely a drop and I have been picking a little early, destroying any split or over ripe fruit and I think their numbers have diminished some. My initial onslaught was during a couple days of heavy rain thinking this is not coincidence, might assist them in more than all the cracked and split fruit. Harvey said above they are in his area but not a problem for his figs, might be related to that dry climate.
Brent,
Yes I have read quite a bit on them when I saw Pokeweed I knew I never stood a chance to reduce the population in my area as it all over this area and the ripe berries pretty much match up with figs ripening. We also have lots of wild blackberry, Black Cherry and tons of other earlier stuff for them to build the populations up and they have 13+ generations a year.
As far as resistant figs Think we need to focus on early figs, and any later figs need a closed eye and thicker skins. The thin skinned figs I am sure are easier for the female to slice into, and that nice skin cracking That so soften signals a fully ripen fig I am sure does not help. Open eyes are Bed and Breakfast for them, I doubt they sleep there, but they in and out like a Mcdonalds drive through.
Not sure if you guys saw this video I uploaded to youtube I posted a different thread here.Last edited by strudeldog; 09-05-2015, 08:48 PM.Phil North Georgia Zone 7 Looking for: All of them, and on and on,Comment
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Hey folks. Same here. I've lost all Brunswick and the last of the Chicagos. I was thinking about using sevin dust. Anyone used it before?Comment
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Chris,
I have not seen Sevin mentioned. There are a number of chemicals that kill them like spinosad, malathion, and many others here is a link http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/spotted...management.pdf
but really not much listed for use on figs It does mention "Adults do appear negatively affected by dry, low relative humidity conditions" which seems to back up my own findings. What is so upsetting is they are targeting many of our small fruits and berries that were relatively pest fruit until recent, and many of these fruits have limited labeled safe for them for that reason. They also infest fruit before ripe as opposed to the fruit flies that we have had prior that mostly bother over-ripe fruit. I am not going to spray this year, maybe I will monitor with traps and attempt next year, but I really don't know I want to spray my figs that much. I might just develop a taste for maggots.
Phil North Georgia Zone 7 Looking for: All of them, and on and on,Comment
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