Field Identification
A tortricid whose larvae bore cranberry berries and web uprights—sulfur-yellow adults give away the species name while larvae give away your yield. It overwinters as partially grown larvae in bog litter.
Larvae are greenish with a tan head and tie leaves to fruit; entry holes ooze frass. Second-generation larvae often damage mature fruit right before harvest.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Bt kurstaki or spinosad at petal fall and against summer broods—use enough water volume to penetrate vine canopy; reapply after heavy rain per label.
Trichogramma spp. for egg parasitism; larval parasitoids such as Macrocentrus and other braconids—preserve with selective timing.
Sand covering in winter management can reduce overwintering survival where practiced; remove excessive litter in renovation years; synchronize sprays with bee-safe intervals.
Mating disruption with pheromones in large contiguous acres—less feasible on single home bogs.
Pheromone traps for biofix and flight peaks; scout fruit for webbing and holes two weeks after catches rise.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Trichogramma spp.
- Braconid Wasps
- Ichneumonid Wasps
Threat Map