Pests

Insect Pests

WARC is actively monitoring for potential insect pests to Montana fruit crops including Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) and Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). While BMSB has not been reported in Montana, SWD is established in Flathead and Lake Counties and has been observed in Gallatin and Ravalli County since 2018. Recent research on codling moth, the primary pest of apple and pear in Montana, has provided growers with improved information on control timing and pest pressure across the state.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Impacts a wide range of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and pulses worldwide—no known presence in Montana

Codling Moth

Primary insect pest of apple and pear in Montana

Spotted-wing Drosophila

Emerging pest of soft-skinned fruits such as cherry and grape—arrived in Montana in 2011

Photo credits:

• Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: Yerpo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
• Spotted-wing Drosophila: Martin Cooper from Ipswich, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Avian pests

Bird Management in Fruit