Ag officials confirm new fruit pest in MinnesotaThe Minnesota
Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed a new fruit pest,
the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), in Minnesota. The Minnesota
Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed a new fruit pest,
the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), in Minnesota. SWD is an
invasive pest of Asian origin that was first detected in the
continental United States in California in 2008 and has since
spread to several western and eastern states. The first two
detections of this pest in Minnesota were made by members of the
public who reported the flies to the Minnesota Department of
Agriculture (MDA). First, a homeowner from Hennepin County
contacted MDA about flies found in a trap placed near a
raspberry patch. Days later, MDA was contacted about an
abundance of maggots in wild raspberries picked in Ramsey
County. MDA followed up on both reports to confirm the identity
of this new pest. “It is impressive that people noticed such a
small pest, realized it could be a new invader,