Pest control crucial during cherry season

The 2010 cherry season is fast approaching. With the cherry season upon us, tree maintenance and compliance with Montana State law regarding pest control is crucial.

I work alongside Tom Lawrence performing cherry pest management duties for Flathead and Lake counties.

Our Pest Management Area (PMA) consists of all lands within two miles of Flathead Lake in Flathead and Lake counties.

The primary pest we deal with is the western cherry fruit fly (Ragoletis indifferens).

Our goal as pest managers is to help growers harvest a healthy, pest-free crop so they can maintain their markets around the world.

Montana law states that any grower, commercial or otherwise, must control the pests in his or her orchard trees.

No matter if you only have one tree or a thousand trees, you must control the cherry fruit fly.

When the cherry fruit fly is not controlled, there can be industry-wide ramifications.

We take a zero tolerance approach to the cherry fruit fly.

There is a risk of losing important markets that will shut down Montana cherry growers if a cherry fruit fly is found in our fruit.

The success of the Flathead cherry industry depends on every grower, big and small, controlling the cherry fruit fly.

Just one larvae (worm) can stop exports, shut down packing plants and stop pickers from picking.

Thus, a huge loss of income for this industry.

Monitoring cherry fruit flies is an essential part of my job as well as for every Montana cherry grower.

Traps are used for monitoring seasonal emergence of the cherry fruit fly.

You might see the yellow sticky card traps along the roadside or in an orchard.

They are used as an indicator of the cherry fruit fly presence, not as a control agent.

More than two cherry fruit flies per trap indicates a real problem.

The life cycle of the western cherry fruit fly is continuous from mid-June to mid-September. They overwinter (in the ground) as pupae.

Adult flies begin emerging from the soil in mid-June and continue into September. Females reach sexual maturity in seven to ten days.

After mating, the females lay one egg per cherry, by boring into the fruit. They can lay up to 350 eggs.

The eggs then hatch in five to nine days. The larvae tunnel through the fruit feeding for one to three weeks, then drop to the ground to pupate. The life cycle continues into September.

Because cherry fruit flies reproduce continuously from June into September, control methods must be used during this entire period.

One or two control applications per season are simply not enough.

Means of control and rate of application are very important.

As a cherry tree grower, you should have begun you control program by the June 18.

This control program should continue on a regular basis every six to ten days, depending on what you are using and the weather.

There are traditional and also newer organic products available.

For purchase of insecticides, spray rates and information, contact your local extension agent or licensed pesticide dealer.

The organic grower should check into a product called GF 120.

This has been effective for backyard growers when applied properly.

By managing your cherry trees, you will be helping all Flathead cherry growers.

Please don't hesitate to contact us, Chris Beason at 214-5425 or Tom Lawrence at 250-8213, with questions regarding cherry pest management.

Thank you for doing your part in keeping Montana's cherry industry healthy.

Beason deals with cherry pest management in Flathead and Lake counties.