Peach:
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), Crop Diversity, Alternate Hosts, Wild Grape, Tall Trees and ‘Ready to Eat Fruit, Table-Ripe’ Fruit: Some farms, particularly in northern counties have diverse crops where stone fruit, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cherries (all SWD hosts) are grown on the same farm and often next to or close to each other. These same farms may be surrounded by woodlands that include wild chokecherry, wild grape, maturing pokeweed and other alternate hosts for SWD. As the season progresses, be aware that SWD populations go in only one direction – UP! The later the season, then the higher the population, and the greater the pest pressure. This means that the likelihood of infestation is increased, while control is made more difficult if sprays are skipped.
