Blog
Alpha Scents was recently granted a patent on its improved ACP lure!
Dr. Darek Czokajlo, President and CEO of AlphaScents, Inc. recently received a patent for the improved trap and lure system for the Asian Citrus Psyllid. Working in conjunction with Dr. Mamoudou Setamou and Dr. Robert Saldana, they developed a more effective system to lure and trap target insects. The patented semiochemicals in the lure, combined with the no mess sticky...
Prionus is a no no!
The Prionus beetle has been a major pest of hops and pecans in the United States. You can find them primarily in Idaho, and parts of Oregon and Washington, where hops are concerned, and Georgia when it comes to pecans. The Prionus is a really difficult pest to control and get rid of. Unfortunately they can live, survive and nest...
Walnut Husk Fly - Why Its Relevant Right Now
The Damage - A Serious Pest of both Walnuts and Peaches: An invasive species that originated east of the Rockies Known to damage more than 2,000 species of plants and trees Now found in California and the Pacific Northwest Primarily a pest of walnuts, but also attacks peaches Rhagoletis completa, or Walnut Husk Fly, interestingly “stain” the shell of walnuts...
Ambrosia Beetle Poses Serious Threat to U.S. and Mexico Avocado Industry
Quick Facts: An invasive species originating in Asia Vector of Laurel Wilt (LW) disease caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola Damaging to avocado and redbay trees Disease kills an estimated 90-95 percent of infected trees Disrupts the tree’s water transport system First detected in the U.S. in Charleston, SC, in 1974 Attacks over 200 species of trees and bushes Ambrosia...
Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me!
Back in my school days, I recall studying fruit flies as part of my science class. Fruit flies have often been used to teach students about genetics. This was easily done by observing different identifying markers on each fly. However, despite being a great teaching tool, these flies prove to be a real annoyance in our daily lives, at home...
Ouch! It stung me!
Piccolo Namek "Anger is as a stone cast into a wasps nest" - Pope Paul VI Since we are on the subject of wasps, let's dive in a little deeper. Did you know that there are actually 30,000 species of wasps! The most prevalent ones are of course the ones with bright colors and that we associate with stinging us...
NOW is Our Insect of Discontent...
My apologies to William Shakespeare... On a more serious note, the Navel Orangeworm (NOW) is a high-risk pest and is a huge problem for almond and pistachio growers. The NOW bores its way into the nut, feeding on the nut-meal and eventually destroying it. At first, the damage is minimal, only a visible pin-head shaped hole is bored, then...
Citrus Leafminer is No Minor Problem!
The Citrus Leafminer (CLM), or Phyllocnistis citrella, is one of the many invertebrates that in its larval stage, damages citrus crops all over the world. From oranges to lemons, grapefruits to limes, this insect attacks the leaves of the citrus, forsaking the plant to infections such as citrus canker. The CLM larvae survives solely on the young leaves (especially under...
Had a bad cup of coffee? Blame the beetles!
Did you know that the Coffee Berry Borer is the only animal that lives exclusively off coffee? Technically it is the most caffeinated animal on our planet, able to eat the equivalent of 230 cups of coffee daily. Unfortunately, this means that they are a huge problem to coffee growers in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Panama, and other coffee growing countries/regions...
Navel Orangeworm
Navel Orangeworm External Resources Sterile Moth Technology to Target NOW in Tree Nuts NOW Pressure on the Rise in Walnuts Predicting Nonpareil Almond Damage in Kern County Product Documents Navel Orangeworm Technical Bulletin Navel Orangework Product Flyer A Multiple Threat in Nut and Fruit Trees Overview Native to the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico First identified in Arizona in 1899 Orchard...