Why pesticides won’t protect Michigan cherries from invasive fly

In 2023, researchers were in the process of introducing the samba wasp to control the SWD population.Michigan State researchers introduced a second wasp into the equation: the ronin wasp, another natural predator to SWD, and trying to turn a third wasp on the flies.July is the perfect month for cherry picking, as farmers prep their produce and families hand pick the biggest, ripest cherries they can find in U-Pick farms across the state.
But there is one tiny problem.
Cherry farmers in Michigan, who produce 70% of America’s tart cherries, continue to combat the spotted wing drosophila, an fruit fly native to Asia that has has been terrorizing cherry crops in Michigan since 2010. This time of year, when the weather is hot, SWD produce faster and live longer.
In the case of SWD, pesticides don’t help.