Apple orchards often receive winter-washes to help aid invertebrate pest control. These can have detrimental environmental consequences. The application of winter-wash increased
Aculus schlechtendali
numbers while a decrease in numbers of the beneficial mite
Anystis baccarum
was observed. The application of early season pesticide treatments produced mixed results in relation to
A. schlechtendali. Pirimiphos-methyl had no apparent detrimental effect on
A. baccarum, whereas pirimicarb and phosalone reduced
A. baccarum populations. The potential to incorporate an orchard winter-wash and early-season pesticide applications within integrated pest management strategies is discussed.
