Pest Management
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A grower recently complained about his blueberry bushes being less vigorous with weak root system. After examining the root system, we discovered that the roots were infested with numerous small, yellowish-brown round cysts which were identified as ground pearls. Ground pearls, Margarodes spp. (Hemiptera: Margarodidae), are subterrestrial insects closely related to aboveground armored scale (Hemiptera:…
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As spotted wing drosophila (SWD) has become established throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, it has become increasingly important to understand the impacts this pest has had in different crops and regions. We have conducted grower-focused impact assessments for the last two years and this information has been used to develop research, extension, and education…
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Over the past few weeks, we have received several reports of flatheaded borer infestation in blueberry orchards. The flatheaded borers are a complex of over 600 species of beetles in the United States. The adult flatheaded borers (Fig. 1) are metallic wood boring beetles which are perhaps the most serious pests attacking a wide range…
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The spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive and economically important pest of many soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and other. Since its first detection in California in 2008, SWD spread rapidly across the United States. It was first found in Georgia in 2010 and since…
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Although this was one of the coldest winters we have seen in years along with two major snowstorms, it was not cold enough for spotted wing drosophila (SWD). We identified our first SWD female of 2014 this past Monday (Feb 17) in a trap located in Clarke County. This means that the monster is around…
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After the 2013 blueberry harvest, we received blueberry foliage samples collected from blueberries in Bacon County, Georgia. The undersides of the leaves were infested with large numbers of whitefly pupae that were identified as Tetraleurodes ursorum Cockerell (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera). This species is sometimes called “bearberry whitefly” because it was first reported on the common bearberry…
Posted in: Pest Management