North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]

I did forget to mention that the  H. bacteriophora beneficial nematodes are very good against Japanese Beetle grubs.  The best way to fight them is to get the grubs before they morph into beetles while they are still in the ground.  The H. bacteriophora also are good against  asparagus beetle, bagworm, banana weevil, banana moth, bill bug, black vine weevil, cabbage root maggots, carrot weevil, citrus weevil, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, European chafer, adult flea, flea beetle, gall midge, Japanese beetle, masked chaffer, May/June beetles, strawberry root weevil, sugarcane stalk borer, sweet potato weevil, various tree and vine borers.  At $85 per acre, it is rather expensive for commercial use since our typical spray runs about $50/acre, but for small scale use, it is a great alternative to more toxic chemicals.

 

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com

----- Original Message -----

From: <David.Maxwell@dal.ca>

To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>

Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 3:29 PM

Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Fwd: Controlling Peach Tree Pests

> Any information on Round Headed Apple Tree borers (Saperda candida) 
and 
> nematodes??  Where does one get such nematodes?
> 
> 
> On 7 Mar 2008 at 7:42, Lon J. Rombough wrote:
> 
>> 
>> 
>> STORY LEAD:
>> 
Environmentally-Friendly Controls for Peach Tree Pests
>> 
___________________________________________
>> 
>> ARS News 
Service
>> Agricultural Research Service, USDA
>> Sharon 
Durham, (301) 504-1611, sharon.durham@ars.usda.gov
>> March 7, 2008
>> --View this report online, plus photos 
and related stories, at 
>> www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr
>> 
___________________________________________
>> 
>> Peach 
growers combat several insects that harm their crop, usually 
>> using 
chemical pesticides to do so.  Agricultural Research Service 
>> 
(ARS) scientists in the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research 
>> 
Laboratory in Byron, Ga., are seeking environmentally friendly 
>> 
alternatives.
> <SNIP> 
> 
>> 
>> The 
scientists knew from lab studies that another peach pest, the 
>> 
lesser peachtree borer, is also highly susceptible to S. carpocapsae.  
>> But the researchers also realized that controlling the lesser 
peachtree 
>> borer would be more difficult because they attack trees 
>> aboveground--where the nematodes dry out and are less 
effective.
>> 
>> To deal with this problem, the researchers 
applied S. carpocapsae 
>> nematodes to tree wounds and then covered 
the wounds with 
>> moisture-holding bandages.  In the first 
trial, 100 percent lesser 
>> peachtree borer mortality was attained in 
five days.
> 
> 
> 
>