The latest guides from WSU Extension offer timely insights on an invasive bee-killing wasp, controls for a devastating honey bee mite, and sampling methods to reveal pests that spread a damaging disease of stone fruits.
The WSU Extension Publications Store website offers a wide range of resources, from agricultural and natural resource guides to materials on 4-H, economic development, energy, and more, as well as Spanish-language guides. The storefront includes a list of recent products.
Current guides include:
Yellow-Legged Hornet: What Beekeepers Need to Know (FS402E)
Posing a threat to honey bees, the yellow-legged hornet is an invasive predator native to Southeast Asia that is now found in parts of the eastern United States. Climate models suggest the Pacific Northwest will increasingly resemble its native range. This guide informs beekeepers and the public on the hornet’s biology, behavior, and how to monitor and prepare to manage it. Authors include WSU Bee Program Extension Coordinator Briana Price, Associate Professor Brandon Hopkins, and Assistant Professor Priyadarshini Chakrabarti, WSU Department of Entomology.
Oxalic Acid Options for Controlling Varroa destructor (FS403E)
Varroa destructor mites are the leading cause of honey bee colony death in the U.S. Beekeepers can manage these terrible pests using oxalic acid, a proven tool within integrated pest management. This publication walks beekeepers and pest managers through EPA-registered oxalic acid products, methods of application, resistance, personal protection, and more. Authors include Briana Price, Brandon Hopkins, and University of Florida Assistant Professor Cameron Jack.
X-disease is an increasing threat to the Pacific Northwest stone fruit industry, producing small, bitter, and unmarketable fruit. Leafhoppers are the only known vectors. To manage the spread of this insect pest as well as the disease, growers must understand when and how to sample effectively. This guide overviews the disease, use of sticky cards, vacuums and sweep nets for sampling, and other considerations. Authors include WSU Graduate Research Assistant Laura Flandermeyer, Assistant Professor Louis Nottingham, Associate Professors Scott Harper and Tobin Northfield, WSU Research Technicians Cody André, Tawnee Melton, and Abigail Clarke, Postdoctoral Associate Katlyn Catron, Tree Fruit Extension Specialist Tianna DuPont, Oregon State University Assistant Professor Chris Adams, and USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Researcher Adrian Marshall.