Insect management - tactics

  • Application of insecticides corresponds to pest threshold ranges specified in state apple IPM publications such as the UVM Quick Guide to Monitoring Arthropod Pests.
  • One application of oil is made in early spring.
  • A second application of late spring oil is applied.
  • A border-row application is used in lieu of one or more whole-orchard sprays against plum curculio (border sprays generally follow a cover spray).
  • Biological control by naturally occurring predators is used for control of aphids.
  • Resistance management is considered when making insecticide applications following all label resistance management guidelines and rotation of insecticides.
  • Summer oil is used in part as a substitute for other miticides used to suppress mites in early season.
  • Biological control by naturally occurring predators is used for control of mites; no miticide is applied.
  • Synthetic pyrethroids are not applied as they are likely to induce outbreaks of mites and woolly aphids.
  • A border-row spray is used in lieu of one or more whole-orchard sprays against apple maggot.
  • Orchard is surrounded by odor-baited red sphere traps at a rate of 1 trap per feet in lieu of pesticide application against apple maggot.
  • All abandoned apple trees within 300 feet of the orchard border are removed to prevent codling moth immigration.
  • Efforts are made to establish the mite predator, T. pyri.
  • Bases of trees on dwarfing rootstocks are kept clean (free of weeds, debris, etc.) to reduce dogwood borer infestation.