Crops > Fruits & nuts > Annona species > Soursop seed wasp borer, unstated country



Crops > Fruits & nuts > Annona species > Soursop seed wasp borer, unstated country

Crops Fruits & nuts Annona species Soursop seed wasp borer, unstated country

Soursop seed wasp borer, unstated country

February 2016. A question about the soursop (Annona muricata) and the seed borer wasp (presumably, Bephratelloides cubensis). Is there an alternative method of control the wasp other than bagging the fruit which results in a high incidence of mealybugs.

Good field sanitation is critical for wasp control i.e., pick up any fallen and decaying soursop fruit and seeds and burn them. If you cannot burn in your area, place collected material in a strong clear plastic bag and tie the mouth. Leave in the sun for about 2 weeks to cook before disposing or composting. This must be done on a regular basis to reduce the wasp population. Do similar if you have other Annona fruit trees like sugar apple and custard apple as they can host the wasp, particularly the former.

There is a paper on the biology of the wasp – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20877987.