Coordinator’s Column

Hello Gardeners,

Many gardeners across Jackson County have small home orchards and love to eat all their apples and pears each fall. (I am a sucker for an apple cobbler.) Right now is the time of year to think about management of that pesky codling moth so gardeners can have a bountiful harvest of caterpillar-free fruits!

Did you know that it is required in Jackson County to perform management steps for this pest to help protect our commercial pear growers? The Southern Oregon Research Extension Center Plant Clinic sends out a codling moth newsletter each year with information about moth management for our county residents. Our newsletter has been updated this spring to be better than ever. There are many different management methods, from non-chemical to chemical options. Reach out to sorec.plantclinic@oregonstate.edu to get added to our newsletter email list!

How do gardeners know when it is time to manage for codling moth? Each year the spring temperatures and weather are slightly different. On average, late May and early June is the start time of chemical sprays. There are various non-chemical management options that can be done throughout the year to reduce this pest’s population. The SOREC entomologist, Robert Orpet, is tracking the Degree Days, or temperature heat units, to determine when the moths will emerge from their overwintering spots. Once these adults are out and about, undoubtedly chatting each other up over a drink of nectar, it is called the Biofix Date. We can track Degree Days to know when the eggs will hatch. The vulnerable caterpillar eggs and juveniles that appear next are what chemical sprays target. This is why timing is very important for effective spray management. Thankfully, the Plant Clinic shares that information with gardeners, and you don’t need to do the calculations yourself!

For more codling moth information, reach out to the SOREC Plant Clinic to get on our newsletter email list and check out the OSU Solve Pest Problems page on codling moth. https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/plant-problems/codling-moth

Happy orcharding,

 

 

Photo from Wikipedia