Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #272926
Title: Control of Rhagoletis indifferents using Thiamethoxam and Spinosad baits under external fly pressure and its relation to rapidity of kill and residual bait activity

Author
item Yee, Wee
item ALSTON, DIANE - Utah State University

Submitted to: Crop Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/13/2012
Publication Date: 8/10/2012
Citation: Yee, W.L., Alston, D.G. 2012. Control of Rhagoletis indifferents using Thiamethoxam and Spinosad baits under external fly pressure and its relation to rapidity of kill and residual bait activity. Crop Protection. 41:17-23.

Interpretive Summary: The western cherry fruit fly damages sweet cherry fruit and is a potential quarantine and trade concern for cherry growers. Personnel at the USDA-ARS Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory in Wapato, WA and at Utah State University examined the effects of two insecticides in sugar or in sugar and protein bait on controlling and killing cherry fruit flies. It was found that thiamethoxam in sugar bait applied every two weeks controlled larval fly infestations in cherry fruit better than spinosad in sugar and protein bait applied every two weeks and killed flies more quickly. Results suggest thiamethoxam with sugar is a new option for an effective bait spray against cherry fruit flies.

Technical Abstract: Control of western cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis indifferens Curran) using thiamethoxam in sucrose bait and spinosad bait in cherry orchards under external fly pressure and its relation to rapidity of kill and residual bait activity were studied in Washington and Utah in 2010 and 2011. Thiamethoxam baits applied weekly controlled larval infestations as well as spinosad bait applied weekly in three of four trials and better than spinosad bait applied weekly in the remaining trial. Thiamethoxam baits applied every two weeks controlled larval infestations better than spinosad bait applied every two weeks in two of three trials, and did not differ statistically from spinosad bait applied weekly. Thiamethoxam bait that was aged on sweet cherry leaves in the field for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days killed flies more rapidly than spinosad bait that was aged for the same periods and reduced oviposition more than spinosad bait in the laboratory. Thiamethoxam bait retained activity up to 21 days of aging whereas spinosad bait lost activity after 14 or 21 days of aging. The ability of thiamethoxam bait to kill mature R. indifferens more rapidly than spinosad bait in the laboratory may not necessarily translate to better fly control when there is external fly pressure, but when sprays are applied every two weeks, the longer residual activity of thiamethoam than spinosad bait does appear to translate to better fly control.