-tial activity detected into October in some blocks. Trap captures 

 averaging more than 4 per trap were recorded in the above-mentioned Ashfield 

 block at the end of September, with 13 AMF captured in one week, on a red 

 sphere placed in a Golden Delicious tree. This offers further evidence of 

 the importance of continued AMF monitoring, and control measures where 

 appropriate, even after Mcintosh harvest has begun. 



Table 1. Percent insect-injured fruit in on-tree surveys of 38 commercial 

 orchard blocks, 1984, compared to IPM orchard harvest injury 

 averages, 1978-1979. 



^Combination of two sets of data. (1) Data from 31 blocks receiving private 

 IPM scout/consultant services from New England Fruit consultants. Samples 

 consisted of 50 fruits per tree on 6-20 trees per block. (2) Data from 7 

 other commercial blocks collected by Extension IPM staff. Samples con- 

 sisted of 100 fruits per tree on 4-10 trees per block. 



Mites continue to be a major pest problem for many fruit growers. 

 Amblyseius fal lacis mite predators were again not an important biological 

 control agent, having been detected too late in the season (mid-August) and 

 in numbers too low to have major effect. No clear reason for this phenome- 

 non is evident, although continued use of carbamate of pyrethroid insec- 

 ticides, or "burnout" fungicides, harmful to A^ fal lacis may have been a 

 factor in some blocks. However, A. fallacis numbers were also low in Hort. 

 Research Center blocks which never received large scale use of such 

 materials . 



Another interesting observation was the presence of early (late June) 

 and severe two spotted mite (TSM) problems at several sites. Although no 

 single factor can be pointed out which completely explains this occurrence, 

 use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides which are toxic to mite pre- 

 dators may be one answer. 



Ironically, grower success in controlling European red mite (ERM) may 

 offer another possible explanation. ERM overwinter as eggs on tree bark, 

 while TSM overwinter as adults in groundcover and at the base of tree 

 trunks. As a result, oil sprays may adequately control early ERM outbreaks 



