REGION – Farmers and home gardeners should be aware that invasive insects will be found locally which can affect crop yields and the decision to plant.
In 2019, the Swedish mosquito was found on a farmer’s broccoli fields in Farmington. As a member of the fly family, it feeds on broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other members of the Brassica family.
Once established Swedish mosquito is difficult to get rid of. Native to Europe and Southwest Asia, the insect was first discovered in Canada in 2000 and New York in 2004.
The Swedish mosquito is a new invasive insect found in Farmington in 2019. The larvae shown in the circle in this photo attack broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and similar plants. Dave Fuller
“They were only found in the counties we know of Franklin and Aroostook,” said Dave Fuller, UMaine Cooperative Extension’s agricultural and non-wood expert in September 2019. “Aroostook has thousands of acres of Brassicas. They are a great harvest there. “
The adult fly is about two millimeters in size. The larva or maggot causes the damage.
The smallness of the Swedish mosquito flies can be seen in this trap, which is marked in one inch squares. Dave Fuller
“The Swede Midge apparently did not come from the farm on which he was first observed two years ago, although he is still present on the farm in question,” wrote Fuller in an email on May 14. “Pheromone traps in the area will continue to detect the pest’s spread.”
For organic farmers, Fuller found that the only effective measure is to practice crop rotation as much as possible from a Brassica plantation the year before and use a protective plant cover to keep the flies away.
“Other establishments can use synthetic sprays which provide good control of the Swedish mosquito, although pheromone traps should be practiced to detect the mosquito’s first flights,” he continued.
When asked about other invasive insects, Fuller stated that the spotted lantern fly and marbled stink bug are not in the area yet.
Leek moths are another invasive insect grower and home gardeners should keep an eye out for them. The larvae destroy leeks, but can also damage onions and garlic. Dave Fuller
“Leek moth has appeared in the Rangeley area and is moving slowly there,” he wrote. “Leek moth only affects all allies, but prefers leeks the most (destroys them!), But messes up onions and can get into garlic bulbs. Only the larvae cause damage, but some of it can be present in the four generations of a season.
“The moths have been out for about two weeks,” he continued. “Crop rotation along with row covers work best when the larvae hatch and get into the plant matter where non-systemic sprays cannot reach them.”
Another invasive insect, Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), was first caught in Maine in the fall of 2011. It is a problem for growers of raspberries, blueberries, and day-neutral strawberries, as well as many other berry fruits.
Spotted Wing Drosophila can damage berries, soft fruits, and some vegetables. File photo
This tiny fruit fly lays its eggs in fruit before it ripens, resulting in fruit that is contaminated with small white larvae as soon as they are ready to be harvested. As a result, the fruit rots quickly and is not durable.
“Some farmers have given up crops such as raspberries with fall fruits due to heavy pressure from SWD,” wrote Fuller. “Others used to plant bearing blueberries that would bear fruit before the SWD numbers reached a critical mass. Sprays approved for use with SWD are effective but require frequent sprays. “
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