Experts Warn About Dangerous New Pest Invading Maine

If you spend enough time in the woods of Maine, you are likely to encounter all kinds of nasty critters and insects.

Black flies, mosquitos, and ticks are the most common, but there are others.

According to WCSH 6, there is a new invasive species that you are going to want to be on the lookout for, especially if you grow fruit.

What is a Spotted wing drosophila?

According to the article, the spotted wing drosophila is a particularly nasty kind of fruit fly that is an invasive species here in Maine.

Fruit flies in general are gross.  They a tiny and fly so slowly that they appear to hang in the air.  And, for whatever reason, I have a bad habit of inhaling them.

What makes the spotted wing drosophila worse?

Unlike normal fruit flies, that typically eat the fruit that has become very ripe, these fruit flies will often make a meal of fruit that is still growing.  This can lead to the destruction of fruit before it can be picked.

While they would likely be up for eating any kind of fruit, so far, in Maine, they have eaten blueberries, raspberries, and cherries.

These pests are native to Asia and were first spotted in the United States in 2008.

If you’ve got raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries growing, it’s go-time. Most spots are already seeing more pests than we want (more than 4 per trap each week), which means it’s time to get ahead of it. Right now, the recommendation is to spray every 7 days—but if the little buggers keep multiplying, you might want to switch to every 5 days to keep your fruit safe.

The good news? Warm, dry weather and those early-season sprays might be helping keep numbers in check. But experts say don’t let your guard down—keep an eye on things and stay on your treatment game as the fruit ripens.