Tarnished Plant Bug on Peaches

(Plant Bug complex includes Oak Bug, Hickory Bug, etc)

Warnings alert growers when plant bugs are mature and after early migration (often in early to mid June) and injury has begun.

Pest injury varies between site and cultivar.
Monitoring insect age structure: appearance of new summer adults indicates timing of when potential fruit injury will begin.
Humid, hot windy, dry weather can promote migration into blocks.
Identify nearby migration sources eg. bush, weeds.

Monitoring sample size 100 fruit/block minimum (min 10 fruit from 10 different trees in block)
Border sprays - injury threshold of 2% at periphery of orchard initiates intervention
Complete block sprays injury threshold 2-5% injury throughout block.
Weed indicators can be used to monitor new summer adults and levels of resident plant bug.
Harvest assessment and historical problems is important

Temperatures of 17-20 °C at shuck will increase overwintering adult activity resulting in early season injury (fruit dimpling) and egg laying in weeds resulting in high summer generation pressure.
Catfacing from overwinter generation more pronounced in Essex-Kent
1st true summer generation (June to early July) more of a problem in Niagara
Injury appears 5-7 days following adult emergence
Injury related to high temperature (+27 °C), humidity and wind for adult dispersal

Border sprays initially sometimes followed by general spray
Early season (completed by end of May) weed control in orchard to discourage establishment of resident population
Stop cultivation & herbicide applications in early June
Pyrethroids most effective, Guthion and Thiodan fair to good

Crops