MORTALITY OF THE SAN JOSÉ SCALE (HOMOPTERA: DIASPIDIDAE) ON STORED APPLES OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND HARVEST DATES

Abstract

AbstractThe San José scale, Aspidiotus perniciosus Comstock, died within 8 to 22 weeks on McIntosh, Red Delicious, Common Delicious, Winesap, Rome Beauty, and Newtown apples harvested on commercial picking dates and placed in standard cold storage. The scale died in much shorter periods on early maturing varieties than on late maturing varieties.The later a variety was harvested the longer the fruit had to be stored to kill the scale. The maximum storage period was 32 weeks for Winesaps and Newtowns harvested in early November, approximately 1 month after the commercial picking date.The storage period required to kill the San José scale on Winesap apples varied from year to year, cool weather in early autumn apparently increasing the storage period.