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SWD numbers increase in Okanagan

July 22, 2015, Kelowna, BC – The spotted wing drosophila, an invasive pest that targets cherries and other fruit, is showing up in higher numbers this year in the Okanagan. Homeowners growing backyard fruit are being encouraged to take action to prevent infestations from spreading to local orchards.

“Spotted wing drosophila is a fruit fly. It looks like the regular ones you find around rotten bananas, but this one has developed in such a way that the female has an egg laying device that looks like a saw so it can go after ripening fruit. It can lay its eggs in the ripening fruit and that is why it is such a big problem,” says B.C. Ministry of Agriculture entomologist, Susanna Acheampong. READ MORE