News & Pest Alerts
Weekly Fruit Update
Fruit Production Extension Educator Madeline Wimmer provides weekly updates throughout the growing season. Read about her observations and recommendations on the Fruit and Vegetable News page site.
New Winsome Fly fact sheet available
A new beneficial insect fact sheet has been published. Winsome Fly is a biocontrol agent of the Japanese beetle and is now naturally spreading in Minnesota. View the new Winsome Fly fact sheet here.
Opportunity to participate in Winsome Fly Citizen Science project!
There is a new opportunity to participate in a Citizen Science project led by Entomologist Bill Hutchison.
Long-term Biological Control of Japanese Beetle? A Winsome Fly Update
Bill Hutchison, Extension Entomologist, Ellie Meys, Undergraduate Student, & Erin Buchholz, Plant Health Specialist, Landscape Arboretum, University of Minnesota
Although Japanese beetle (JB) adults continue to be active throughout August to early September, beetle numbers on most host plants/crops are beginning to decline. One factor causing the decline the Winsome fly (WF) (Istocheta aldrichi: Family Tachinidae), which lays its distinctive white eggs quite conspicuously just behind the head of JB adults (i.e., the pronotum; see photo, 2020). Read the article on the Fruit & Vegetable News blog.
Japanese Beetle & Fruit Crops: Mostly Good News
Bill Hutchison, Extension Entomologist, Eleanor Meys, Undergraduate Student, & Suzanne Wold-Burkness, Dept. of Entomology, University of Minnesota
As of this week, and with the record number of days over 90F this summer, the Japanese beetle (JB) is rapidly approaching the end of its annual emergence curve. As of Monday, July 30th, we will be between 75-90% emergence for southern Minnesota. Read the article on the Fruit & Vegetable News blog.