09/26/05 Concerns about coddling moth

As most tree fruit has been or is under harvest right now, growers in the region might be breathing a sigh of relief over coddling moth concerns. Washington State University researcher Tim Smith predicted in his coddling moth model that there would be a slight spike for a third generation of coddling moth around late August  early September in some of the earlier areas. That did occur. But with changing weather into fall, the worry about coddling moth is over, for this year. The worry for coddling moth going into next year, according to Nate Squirres of Northwest Wholesale is just beginning, especially with markets like Taiwan again accepting our apples after coddling moth concerns. SQUIRRES: We're still trying to keep coddling moth from being an issue especially with the markets that are open to us. But it's a pest that we're fighting season long any more. And so we never have a real easy time. And Squirres believes that last spike was enough to establish an overwintering coddling moth population that could cause problems for next growing season. Other than waiting for spring to apply controls, Squirres says the only way to get a head start on coddling moth is borrowing a tip from organic growers. Take pieces of corrugated cardboard, and lay that on the ground around trees. The hope is larvae will burrow into that, and not tree bark, for the winter. Then when spring comes, it is just a matter of removing the cardboard, and any larvae inside.