New Pest of all soft skinned fruit
 

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

We now have this on our allotment and it has destroyed our crop of
Cherries (4 trees). Flys onto and lays eggs in the ripening fruit
resulting in tiny little white maggots and usually rotting of the
fruit.
First noticed in UK in 2012 and first reported to RHS Wisley Advice
centre in 2015. Not much can be done against it, clear up all rotting
fruit and use traps (£20+ for 2) to see when it's around and spray with
insecticide but seems that isn't that effective.

Plants affected so far are...
Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, hybrid berries, all currants,
blueberries, gooseberries, grapes, cherries, plums, peaches and
nectarines, apricots, and Tomatoes.


--
Regards
Bob Hobden

New Pest of all soft skinned fruit
 

On Fri, 30 Jun 2017 18:28:13 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

We now have this on our allotment and it has destroyed our crop of
Cherries (4 trees). Flys onto and lays eggs in the ripening fruit
resulting in tiny little white maggots and usually rotting of the fruit.
First noticed in UK in 2012 and first reported to RHS Wisley Advice
centre in 2015. Not much can be done against it, clear up all rotting
fruit and use traps (£20+ for 2) to see when it's around and spray with
insecticide but seems that isn't that effective.

Plants affected so far are...
Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, hybrid berries, all currants,
blueberries, gooseberries, grapes, cherries, plums, peaches and
nectarines, apricots, and Tomatoes.


The RHS site makes pretty grim reading.

Given the number of wild fruit trees around here, including sloes,
cherries and mirabelles it seems that any infestation would be very hard
to control.

Another invader from Asia, apparently.

cough Sent home after Brexit? /cough

Just another disease propagated by the global transport of plant material.

Cheers


Dave R


--
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New Pest of all soft skinned fruit
 

On 1 Jul 2017 13:09:26 GMT, David wrote:
On Fri, 30 Jun 2017 18:28:13 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

We now have this on our allotment and it has destroyed our crop of
Cherries (4 trees). Flys onto and lays eggs in the ripening fruit
resulting in tiny little white maggots and usually rotting of the fruit.
First noticed in UK in 2012 and first reported to RHS Wisley Advice
centre in 2015. Not much can be done against it, clear up all rotting
fruit and use traps (£20+ for 2) to see when it's around and spray with
insecticide but seems that isn't that effective.

Plants affected so far are...
Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, hybrid berries, all currants,
blueberries, gooseberries, grapes, cherries, plums, peaches and
nectarines, apricots, and Tomatoes.


The RHS site makes pretty grim reading.

Given the number of wild fruit trees around here, including sloes,
cherries and mirabelles it seems that any infestation would be very hard
to control.

Another invader from Asia, apparently.

cough Sent home after Brexit? /cough

Just another disease propagated by the global transport of plant material.

Cheers


It's those and that it attacks blackberries, I mean they are everywhere
around here. Why have we not heard about this pest, can't say I've seen
any information on it which is why I had to spend some time on the net
getting info. Perhaps the professional fruit growers have been warned,
but why not all gardeners. Mind you, it may well damage sales of fruit
trees and things like strawberry plants. We simply cannot eat our
cherries, the thought that even the non rotten ones probably contain
tiny maggots isn't pleasant.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

New Pest of all soft skinned fruit
 

On 01/07/2017 22:58, Martin wrote:
On Sat, 01 Jul 2017 17:21:25 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

On 1 Jul 2017 13:09:26 GMT, David wrote:
On Fri, 30 Jun 2017 18:28:13 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

We now have this on our allotment and it has destroyed our crop of
Cherries (4 trees). Flys onto and lays eggs in the ripening fruit
resulting in tiny little white maggots and usually rotting of the fruit.
First noticed in UK in 2012 and first reported to RHS Wisley Advice
centre in 2015. Not much can be done against it, clear up all rotting
fruit and use traps (£20+ for 2) to see when it's around and spray with
insecticide but seems that isn't that effective.

Plants affected so far are...
Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, hybrid berries, all currants,
blueberries, gooseberries, grapes, cherries, plums, peaches and
nectarines, apricots, and Tomatoes.


The RHS site makes pretty grim reading.

Given the number of wild fruit trees around here, including sloes,
cherries and mirabelles it seems that any infestation would be very hard
to control.

Another invader from Asia, apparently.

cough Sent home after Brexit? /cough

Just another disease propagated by the global transport of plant material.

Cheers


It's those and that it attacks blackberries, I mean they are everywhere
around here. Why have we not heard about this pest, can't say I've seen
any information on it which is why I had to spend some time on the net
getting info. Perhaps the professional fruit growers have been warned,
but why not all gardeners. Mind you, it may well damage sales of fruit
trees and things like strawberry plants. We simply cannot eat our
cherries, the thought that even the non rotten ones probably contain
tiny maggots isn't pleasant.

I haven't eaten raspberries since we found tiny white worms in our home grown
ones around 15 years ago. My wife says that there haven't been any in the
raspberries since then.

A good reason to clear all brambles growing wild where possible.

New Pest of all soft skinned fruit
 

On 01/07/2017 23:45, David wrote:
A good reason to clear all brambles growing wild where possible.

You're kidding right?

A guy down the road from us has just cleared a patch. About an acre.
They are in all the hedges too. There's no way to get anywhere near all
of them.

Andy

New Pest of all soft skinned fruit
 

On 3 Jul 2017 21:32, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 01/07/2017 23:45, David wrote:
A good reason to clear all brambles growing wild where possible.

You're kidding right?

A guy down the road from us has just cleared a patch. About an acre.
They are in all the hedges too. There's no way to get anywhere near all
of them.


Our allotment site is surrounded on two sides by brambles, we always
thought of them as a defence but now they could well harbour these
pests. This is a serious problem so why have I not heard a word on
this pest in any of the gardening programs or in The Garden?


--
Regards
Bob Hobden