COUPEVILLE, Wash. — Washington State University Island County Extension has scheduled a workshop to present the latest research on the pest Drosophila suzukii, commonly known as Spotted Wing Drosophila, and its management.
The workshop will be presented on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7 pm at the Coupeville Recreational Hall, 901 N.W. Alexander Street in Coupeville. The event is free and open to the public.
WSU entomologist and research associate Dr. Beverly Gerdeman will present the latest on what is known about SWD and on research underway on how to best manage the pest. Gerdeman, who is based at the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, is currently researching integrated pest management techniques for controlling arthropods and insects in small fruit, including spotted wing drosophila. She is known for her collaborations on small fruit pest management in the Philippines, Indonesia, The Czech Republic and Senegal West Africa.
Spotted Wing Drosophila is a fruit fly that infests both ripening and rotting fruit crops. It was first detected in western Washington in strawberries in 2009 and since has been found infesting other small fruits including red raspberry, blueberry and blackberry.
Gerdeman will discuss what we know about the biology of the pest and the latest on research to develop both conventional and sustainable methods for managing SWD.
For more information on the workshop contact WSU Island County Extension at 360-240-5558.
More information about the pest and links to additional resources can be found at WSU’s SWD website, http://extension.wsu.edu/swd/Pages/default.aspx.