Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Wapato, Washington, is collecting data on the factors that impact the abundance of the key natural enemy of pear psylla: trechnites. 

According to a news release, the project’s goal is to provide growers with recommendations on how best to conserve trechnites. 

Schmidt-Jeffris is seeking volunteers willing to have trechnites/pear psylla traps placed in their pear orchards. Orchards with any type of management — conventional, soft or organic — and any level of pear psylla or trechnites abundance may participate. Growers will not be asked to make any changes to their current management practices during the study. 

Traps would be placed in April and monitored until roughly October.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Schmidt-Jeffris by email at rebecca.schmidt@usda.gov or by phone at 509-264-5940. She can also answer any questions about the project.

—by Jonelle Mejica