Wisconsin fruit growers are teaming up with state scientists to closely monitor and manage insect threats through the Apple Pest Cooperator Network. The collaborative effort, organized by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), aims to track harmful insect populations across the state and provide growers with the critical data they need to protect their crops.
Currently, the network consists of 27 orchards ranging from Kenosha County in the southeast all the way north to Bayfield County. Participating growers utilize pheromone traps to capture and count prevalent threats, such as the codling moth, apple maggot, and various leaf rollers and clearwing borers. The collected data is then sent to DATCP entomologists who compile and interpret the findings for a weekly newsletter.
Krista Hamilton, an entomologist for the Pest Survey Program at DATCP, emphasized that the data helps farmers move away from a blind approach to crop management.
“Each week we review and publish all of the counts that are coming in from orchards across the state,” Hamilton explained. “And I think even more importantly, we also provide an interpretation of what those counts are telling us… we can look at those numbers and tell growers if a certain insect flight has peaked, if it has started, if it’s ended.”
The network welcomes all levels of experience, from multi-generational farming families to absolute beginners, as DATCP provides all necessary training and materials.
Network Impact
Beyond tracking local resident pests, the network serves as an early-warning system for potential biological threats. Occasionally, growers are asked to deploy specialized traps targeting high-priority invasive species that have been flagged at national ports of entry but have not yet established a foothold in Wisconsin.
Ultimately, the program is designed to protect both the economic bottom line of local orchards and the surrounding environment by optimizing pesticide use.
“Pests cost growers considerable money to control. And if that control isn’t properly timed or if it’s ineffective, that can lead to damaged fruit, reduced profits at harvest,” Hamilton said. “We want growers only to be spraying when pest levels justify treatment and during the most effective control windows.”
Growers interested in joining the tracking efforts can register online at the official DATCP website.
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