PULLMAN, Wash. – Fruit growers concerned about the threat and impact of Spotted Wing Drosophila have a new, one-stop shop for information with the creation of a Washington State University Web site dedicated to the pest – http://extension.wsu.edu/swd/Pages/default.aspx.
First detected in the United States in California in 2008, Spotted Wing Drosophila is a “vinegar fly” or “fruit fly” that attacks ripening fruit as well as rotting fruit. It is considered a serious threat to Pacific Coast fruit crops such as cherry, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and strawberry.
The new Web site is designed to serve as a resource for commercial tree fruit growers in eastern Washington potentially impacted by SWD. It includes regularly updated, region-specific trap capture data, biological background about the pest, integrated pest management strategies and popular press coverage of SWD. The site also gives users an opportunity to subscribe to receive alerts by text or email about emerging SWD news and updates.
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