Repeated use of pesticides with the same mode-of-action used in the orchard can accelerate the development of insecticide resistance. WSU recommends that when you choose insecticides, keep track of which ones are being used so that you alternate materials with the different modes-of-action (shown in DAS) between generations.

Many consider blight an apparently random curse, and part of the game a pome fruit grower must play. As outbreaks do not occur yearly, damage always seems to be somebody else's problem, until it suddenly appears in your orchard.

Movement of codling moth and leafrollers into your orchard can be the start of serious damage. Both CM and leafrollers can easily fly 5-7 miles in a single night and their reproduction is as high as those that do not fly. Although 5-7 mile flights are common, the likelihood of the moths coming to your orchard in high numbers is directly related to wind speed, distance from the source, and the environment in between the source and your orchard.

Are the weather conditions favorable to bee foraging activity? The new honeybee foraging model predicts bee activity by looking at past, current, and forecast weather conditions.

San Jose scale is a relatively easy pest to control, but a dangerous one to leave uncontrolled.  After a few years of infestation, limbs and even entire trees can be killed if heavily attacked, and high percentages of the fruit can be infested. Large trees are most often associated with scale problems, because of the suitable habitat they provide and the difficulty of obtaining thorough spray coverage.  However, young trees can also develop a scale problem surprisingly quickly.