Friday, May 31, 2002

Whoaaa! Been awhile. Sorry. Well, this week has been warm and humid -- the complete opposite of my entry on 8/18 when we were in the snow! This has been ideal weather for the activity of plum curculio to pick up in local orchards. Here, a picture of the kind of damage caused by curc on fruit. Curculio hang out in our around the orchard after emerging earlier in the spring, and with the first warm, muggy weather after bloom, will cause these egg-laying (oviposition) scars on fruit. Growers are advised to have adequate insecticide coverage now and for the next few weeks until curculio activity subsides. Ron Prokopy, UMass Department of Entomology Professor has been doing some novel work on control of this pest -- you may find his articles in Fruit Notes of New England interesting. Or, check out this fact sheet on plum curculio from the New York State IPM Program. Be good. 6:15:09 PM