An instructional video describing methods for scouting for aphids and lacewings in apple orchards. This video was produced by Tianna DuPont, WSU Extension and Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris, USDA-ARS as part of SARE Project SW24-004: Developing best practices for releasing lacewings in apples.
Text Transcript with Description of Visuals
| Audio | Visual |
|---|---|
| Begin monitoring for aphids in late May to early June when shoot leaves are rapidly expanding. | A person walks along an orchard row and stops at a fruit tree. They inspect the vegetative shoots, holding up the shoot to look at the new growth. |
| Examine the first foot of vegetative shoots. | A person stands in an orchard row beside a fruit tree, closely examining the vegetative shoots. They part the leaves and look closely, then walk to examine the next shoot. An ATV is parked behind them in the row. |
| Research in Washington has found that aphid populations of 4 to 5 infested leaves per shoot can result in damage. | A close-up shows a hand lifting a leaf to reveal aphids clustered on the underside along the leaf veins. |
| And a population of 2 to 3 infested leaves per shoot should be treated. | A close-up shows a person holding a leaf between their fingers, with the underside facing the camera. Several small aphids are visible near the base of the leaf, along the leaf veins. |
| For woolly apple aphid also examine suckers, | A person approaches the base of a fruit tree, they bend down to examine small shoots growing near the ground. |
| and the bark of trunks and leaders for new colonies. | A close-up of a tree trunk shows rough, textured bark. A white arrow points to a small, cotton-like insect on the bark, indicating a wooly aphid. |
| Beat trays are an effective way to scout for lacewing larvae. Hold an 18-inch square tray with a white cloth cover 1 foot below a 0.75 to 1.5-inch diameter limb with an average number of spurs and branches. | A person walks up to an orchard tree holding a white square beat tray in one hand and a section of rubber hose in the other, positioning themselves beside a branch. |
| Tap the limb firmly 3 times with a stiff rubber hose. | They place the beat tray beneath a branch and tap the limb firmly three times with the rubber hose. They then scan the beat tray visually, looking for insects that have been knocked off of the limb. |
| Scan for insects jarred from the limb onto the tray. | The camera zooms in on the white beat tray beneath the branch, with small bits of debris and an insect visible on the tray’s surface. |
| Lacewing larvae are 1 to 15 mm with cream to mottled gray alligator-shaped bodies. Prominent sickle-like mouthparts are longer than the head. | The camera zooms in on a single lacewing larva walking along the white beat tray. |
| 30 trays at random intervals across the sampling area is standard for a block of 10 to 20 acres. | The camera zooms out slightly as the lacewing larva walks along the beat tray. |
| Sticky cards can be an effective way to scout for adult lacewings if you are not getting them in beat trays. | A yellow sticky card hangs from a tree branch, with several insects caught on it’s surface. An arrow points to an adult lacewing on the card. |
Link to YouTube video: Lacewing and Aphid Scouting
