The spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) was first observed in Ohio in 2011. This tiny fly is now a major pest of small fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, & blueberries), grapes, and peaches for anyone producing these crops from backyard to commercial scale growers throughout Ohio. What makes this vinegar fly different from other related flies is it attacks healthy uninjured ripening and ripe fruit, not old or damaged fruit like other flies.
So what is the best way to learn how to identify, monitor, and manage SWD? By attending our SWD workshop where these topics will be tackled one by one, including how to use a stereoscope to see these flies up close, how to properly use and service the SWD traps, and how to manage the pest once it arrives at your farm (see flyer below). The meeting has been scheduled from 9am-noon on April 5th at the Washington County Extension office, located at 202 Davis Avenue, Marietta, OH 45750.
Growers from anywhere in Ohio can attend, but due to space limitations, we can only accept the first 20 growers who apply, so be sure to register for this workshop by March 29th. There is a $10 fee to attend the workshop which will be collected at the beginning of the workshop to cover refreshments and snacks. Click on the link below to sign up for the class.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWDReg18
All attendees will receive one Scentry SWD Trap and 1-2 Scentry SWD lures to help get you started monitoring for this pest, along with vials filled with male and female SWD to use as reference specimens.
If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact Jim Jasinski (jasinski.4@osu.edu) or Marcus McCartney (mccartney.138@osu.edu). This workshop is sponsored by the OSU Dept. of Entomology, Dept. of Extension IPM Program, and USDA NIFA.
