Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I know it's early, but was wondering for planning ahead. Do any of you gents use sticky traps of any kind. If so, what do you use and are they effective? What type works best?
Sticky traps
- Thread starter Bowsnbucks
- Start date
biglakeba$$
5 year old buck +
for deer? :)
I just bought this.
skip ahead to the 2 minute mark
I just bought this.
skip ahead to the 2 minute mark
Maya
5 year old buck +
Bows, they are for monitoring not necessarily for killing pests. Although they will catch and kill a few. Makes it easier to see what are in your orchards and to make good decisions on how to proceed with your next step. I know some organic types like to try and say they are using them as pest control, but it's more of a feal good thing. If they are being honest, they are catching beneficials too, aren't they! They don't just catch bad bugs and not the good.
For example some years Plum Curculio come out earlier than other years due to weather. Most years I don't worry about spraying for them until first pink, other years they come out earlier and I see them in traps at 1/2" green to TC. So, if I'm not seeing them, I don't spray for them if I do not have to. If you are not spraying, traps will have some effect, but not much. As Aero pointed out in the other thread, monitoring and knowledge is key. If you are seeing a fair number of aphids, but you know that lady bugs are a predator of them, and you have a bunch of lady bugs present too, you know you should be in good shape. Another good example of cultural practices is to grow a good strong/healthy tree, and shape and prune properly. Healthy well pruned trees will sustain a higher level of pests such as aphids. Traps will be a good tool though, to make good decisions.
I just picked up a few old wooden apples w/ hooks on them from an antique dealer in town. He knew what they were, but had not been apple to sell them, so he gave them to me. We'll see what I can do with them!
Maya
5 year old buck +
Ya, that makes sense Art. That would certainly be one crop that is not great for apples. We don't grow much ag at all out here and very little beans, but I would suspect that would be a case where you might need to spray for aphids. I've only sprayed for them once or twice in 20+ years. I always have some, but not enough to inhibit growth.
Another planting that is problematic if you are spraying for pests is clover. We do not plant clover in orchards as they are a draw for bees. We spray at night so the bees are back in hives but we want to do everything possible to not kill them. Heck even mowing the clover kills a lot of bees, so we plant a conservation mix w/ no clover in the orchards. You still get some clover in the orchards, but we try not to.
Of course other things most orchards try to cut down on around the orchards are brush, any ag crops that attract deer :) (no really), juniper, dead standing trees, and even wild or abandon apples. Anything that can be a host for pests or disease. My big main orchard is fenced so I don't worry about the deer but I do try and cut down on brush, dead trees, juniper and wild trees. Any apples I plant around the property for deer are disease resistant to scab and FB to help cut down on inoculum. I've got one big wild apple of some sort that my father in law planted that I can't cut down, momma's orders!
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Thanks Bur & Maya for the tips on plantings of other crops, etc. We don't plant clover in any apple areas ( to protect bees if sprayed - learned that from you apple guys on here !! ), and don't plant soybeans anymore - not enough acreage to avoid deer wipeout, and we don't have brush around the apples / crabs. We do plant clover and buckwheat in nearby fields - good for deer & bees both. We just have grass around the fruit trees and keep it mowed during the warm months. Inside the concrete mesh cages, we have 40x40" landscape cloth covered w/ 3-4" of limestone gravel to prevent immediate competition from grass / weeds. All's well so far w/ the trees.
In reading about sticky traps in other places, I thought they were for reducing the # of insect pests in the orchard. I didn't realize they were more for monitoring.
In reading about sticky traps in other places, I thought they were for reducing the # of insect pests in the orchard. I didn't realize they were more for monitoring.
