This dry weather is good for something – keeping spotted wing drosophila numbers down. SWD larvae were found in one raspberry in Newport County last week, but no additional larvae or adult SWD have been found in RI or New England. New York and Pennsylvania have been catching SWD adults in some counties for the last few weeks, though not in high numbers.

If you plan to spray insecticides for SWD: An excellent chart of labeled materials for controlling SWD developed by Cornell University can be found here. Remember to use materials from different IRAC groups in sequential spray applications to avoid developing a resistant SWD population.

Also plan on frequent and thorough harvesting of fruit with a minimum of fruit falling to the ground. Refrigerate harvested fruit as soon as possible after harvest.  Keep your crop canopy open for air movement and light penetration by weeding, mowing, and if necessary using trellising to hold fruit laden branches up from the ground.  And don’t leave cull fruit out in the open or near the crop.

For more information on SWD see UMass’s website here.