Breaking News: Apple Maggot Quarantine in two Northern Counties -

Quarantine set for two

Northern Counties

The apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella, has been confirmed in two northern New Mexico counties. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture will issue a quarantine for the apple maggot in Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties sometime this week.

Apples affected by apple maggots, also known as the "railroad worm," are completely unusable and not saleable. As early as 1965, apple maggots seriously damaged the apple crop of New England. The apple maggot is a native insect of North America and has historically been a pest of apples in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. In 1979, the apple maggot was first discovered in the Pacific Northwest in the Portland, Oregon area. Since then, apple maggot adults have been found in most western states. The apple maggot is also found in California, Oregon and Washington.

The following states are listed on the quarantine list for states known to have the apple maggot: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Besides the states listed above the country of Mexico and the the following providences in Canada also have the apple maggot: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

With proper Integrated Pest Management (IPM) the apple maggot is easy to control. The 2003 Insect Report published by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food states that the apple maggot program began in 1985 with the discovery of the apple maggot fly in Utah County. Their IPM program provided commercial growers with information that helps with better timing for insecticide spraying. Accurately timed sprays resulted in fewer insecticides being used with less harm to the environment and lower production costs. They reported that apple maggot catches have decreased from over 60 in 1994 to less than 10 in 2002. and 0 in 2003. UDAF employees monitor approximately 600 insect traps during the growing season. They also reported that no apple maggots have been found in commercial orchards. All apple maggot catches have been in abandoned or non-commercial orchards.

Apple Maggot Will Most Likely Help The Commercial Apple Grower and Put Higher Quality Apples On The Grocery Store Shelves

It is believed that the discovery of the apple maggot in New Mexico will help the commercial apple industry rather than hurt it. Better IPM controls required to produce apples in our state will mean better fruit on the shelves for the consumer to purchase.

More information will soon follow on the apple maggot quarantine and control. If you would like to be notified when updates are added to the web click here.