Fruit bins infested with diapausing codling moth larvae, Cydia pomonella, are a source of reinfestation of orchards and may jeopardize the success of mating disruption programs and other control strategies. Bins are not routinely treated for control of overwintering codling moth before placing them in orchards. Entomopathogenic nematodes could provide a non-chemical means of control that could be applied at the time bins are submerged in dump tanks at the packing house for flotation of fruit. Diapausing codling moth larvae in miniature fruit bins were highly susceptible to infective juveniles of Steinernema carpocapsae and S. feltiae in a series of experiments. Immersion of bins in suspensions of nematodes ranging from 10 to 50 infective juveniles/ml of water in a commercial packing line resulted in mortality in cocooned codling moth larvae of 45-87% and 56-85% for S. feltiae and S. carpocapsae, respectively. Use of adjuvants to increase efficacy of nematodes in fruit bins by increasing penetration of hibernacula and by slowing desiccation resulted in improved activity under certain humidity conditions.
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Back to The 2003 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition