Effects of permethrin sprays on the mite fauna of apple orchards

Abstract

SUMMARYIn two apple orchard trials, single high volume sprays of 25–50 mg permethrin/ litre greatly reduced numbers of the phytosend predatory mite Typhlodromus pyri whether the spray was timed pre‐bloom at growth stages from ‘bud‐burst’ to ‘late green cluster’ or post‐bloom in June. At ‘bud‐burst’T. pyri were partially protected in hibernating sites on the bark, but the lethal effect of the spray was only delayed; no appreciable selectivity could be obtained by this early timing. Bioassays showed that the persistent toxicity of permethrin residues on bark or on leaves declined to a low level within 20 days, and was related to the decline in residue levels determined by G.C. analyses. Residues were detectable for 3 months or longer. Resurgence of spider mites, Panonychus ulmi, occurred within 2 months after all spray timings, and effective predation by T. pyri was only fully re‐establised after several months. In one trial, apple rust mite, Aculus schlechtendali also increased when T. pyri was reduced by spraying. Tydeid mites were killed by permethrin.

A comparison of the toxic and sub-lethal effects of fluvalinate and esfenvalerate on the twospotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

“…Shortly after their introduction there were numerous reports of tetranychid mite outbreaks (Hall, 1977: Hoyt et at., 1978Zwick and Fields, 1978;Hall, 1979;Aliniazee and Cranham, 1980;Reed and Mouzin, 1981 ). Outbreaks have now been associated with most pyrethroids and nine spider mite species (Gerson and Cohen, 1989), which have affected key pest control programmcs (Hull et al, 1985;Kapetanakis et al, 1986).…”