Economic Thresholds in Black Cherry Aphid and Stinging Bugs

Black cherry aphid and stinging bugs are important pests in tree fruit production. This work seeks to determine the economic thresholds for both of these pests in cherry and apple, respectively. Three cherry orchards and four apple orchards with a history of these pests were surveyed and evaluated for damage at the end of the season. Results from the stinging bug assessments were confounded by a spray applied during the growing season. A tentative threshold was determined for black cherry aphid and it was found that cherry trees can tolerate several aphid colonies before any impact is observed.