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Skagit pest control board reports spike in spotted wing drosophila; county traps catch more than 16,000 in 2025 season
Summary
The Skagit County Horticultural Pest Board said Oct. 6 that trapping this year captured 16,214 spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in 37 traps, substantially higher than last year, and reported monitoring results for several regulated and emerging pests; staff urged continued integrated pest management and grower reporting.
Katie Hayes, entomology coordinator with WSU Skagit County Extension and the county's horticultural pest board, told commissioners Oct. 6 that regional trap monitoring detected markedly higher spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) numbers in 2025 than in prior seasons.
"This year I saw a total of 16,214 spotted winged Drosophila caught in 37 traps in Skagit County," Hayes said, summarizing the 2025 trap set. She said the year‑over‑year increase likely reflects weather conditions that favored SWD reproduction; "mean daily temperatures between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 82 degrees Fahrenheit are the perfect conditions for high…
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