Source: NCSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 8/13/19


Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) continues to be the insect that poses the greatest threat to damage of apples. Codling moth and oriental fruit moth populations continue to be low in commercial orchards, and apple maggot trap captures declined in Henderson County for the first time in three weeks.

The number of BMSB captured in pheromone traps increased slightly during the past week in Henderson County, from an average of 1.6 to 2.5 bugs per trap. In lower elevation piedmont/foothill orchards, the number increased from 4.2 to 6.1 bugs per trap, and on the research station at Mills River trap captures averaged 10.2 bugs/trap. Among the 26 orchards in Henderson County with monitoring traps, average per-trap capture varied from 0.3 to 7.5 bugs per trap, with an overall average of 2.5. Hence, population densities vary considerably from orchard to orchard. With that said, we expect populations to continue to increase in higher elevation orchards over the next couple of weeks, so a preventive insecticide application (14-day interval) is recommended for apples to be harvested after September 1.

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