Newsletter Banner

ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
Yellow card traps used to block ants from eating fruit tree blossoms
Capture Shothole Borer (Scolytus regulosus)
Monitoring for Potato Psyllid
Grape Mealybug lure
Yellow No-mess Adhesive™ Card Traps Used to Keep Ants From Eating Fruit Tree Blossoms 
This Spring ants were observed by entomologist, Eric LaGasa (WSDA) eating away the ovary part of blossoms in a pear orchard.  Blossoms were left with no pistol that would have developed into the pear.  LaGasa said he had not seen this kind of ant behavior in blossoms before.  Interestingly, we have recently received reports from cherry growers who have, this year, dealt with ants eating blossoms.

PLAY
Click to view a video of the ants eating the blossoms
 
In an attempt to block the ants from climbing up the tree LaGasa used wire and Alpha Scents yellow adhesive card traps to wrap tree trunks and scaffolds, as shown below.  Good results were observed. 
trees banded with yellow adhesive traps
Center & Right: cards cut in half lengthwise using a box cutter or scissors
orchard with banded trees
Small pear orchard where ants were observed eating blossom ovaries. These trees have been banded with yellow adhesive rectangle traps to capture the ants.
Disclaimer:  These photos and the video have been provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation for any particular product or application.  They are shown here by permission of the photographer, Eric LaGasa, Washington State Department of Agriculture 

 

Alpha Scents President's Comments:  All of our sticky coated traps are coated with our popular No-mess Adhesive™.   This makes it especially easy and convenient to cut and handle our rectangle card traps.  See past issues in our archive for examples of traps being cut to fit inside cups for Drosophila traps, formed into tubes for enhanced capture rates, and other novel methods.  Our yellow traps have been rated in USDA studies as capturing 2 to 4 times all other brands tested. 
Capture Shothole Borer (Scolytus regulosus)
 
Shothole Borer damages fruit tree crops like peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, cherry, and others.  Adult females drill holes in the bark and lay eggs in 1 to 2 inch long galleries running down the cambium layer of the tree.  Larvae overwinter beneath the bark.  When hatched they mine secondary galleries at right angles to the egg gallery.  Pitch exuding from holes usually kills eggs.  If the tree has been injured or has weakened areas, resin buildup does not occur.  At this point invasion is successful.  Ultimately larvae may girdle the tree and cause tree or branch death.
 
No-mess Adhesive™ Alpha Scents Yellow Rectangle Traps with ethanol lures attached may be used to capture and monitor adults, as shown in the photo. 
Potato Psyllid Monitoring With Yellow Adhesive Cards
 
Alpha Scents No-mess Adhesive™ Yellow Rectangle Traps are being used for research and education on potato psyllid and ZC going on in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington states. 
 
PDF article Click here for ARTICLE by Andrew Jenson, Editor of Potato Progress and Regional Research Director.  Outstanding photographs of psyllid capture and proper identification of potato psyllid from other similar looking psyllids.
Order Online:  
Order By Phone:
  • Phone Sales:  503-342-8611 * 971-998-8248
  • Fax Your Order:  314-271-7297
  • Retail Resellers of Pest Wizard� Brand: 
    Phone Sales:  702-540-3401 or Email:  sales @ pestwizard.com
PDF file
Documents Online (PDF):
GRAPE MEALYBUG Lure Now Available Online 
 
Available from Alpha Scents, the Grape Mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus) lure is in stock.  Lure, combined with delta trap, is effective with a variety of hosts, including grapes, all tree fruits grown in the Northwest U.S., rosaceous plants and certain ornamental trees and shrubs (see WSU abstract).  Order today by:
  • Phone:  503-342-8611 or 971-998-8248
  • Fax:  314-271-7297
  • Online:  $4.40            $70.00            $270.00
    buy single items    buy paks of 25 single items    buy 100 items bulk    
Month/Year � Newsletter produced by Glassnoise, Inc.for Alpha Scents, Inc.