A: Local ordinances (laws) specify that you, the owner, are responsible for controlling destructive pests and diseases of fruit trees on your property .This is true whether you plant the tree yourself, or buy property with fruit trees already on it. Although ordinances apply to all types of fruit trees, cherry trees present one of the worst problems.

A: The tree can harbor insects and diseases. If not properly controlled, these pests can fly or be blown into a neighbor's backyard tree or nearby commercial orchards where they cause serious economic loss.

A: Many pests and diseases attack cherry, but the only one the homeowners should be concerned with is the CHERRY FRUIT FLY. This fly deposits its eggs directly into the developing cherry fruit; the result is a maggot (the immature stage of the fly) in the fruit at harvest.

A: One reason is that you would not want to eat fruit with a maggot in it! The other reason involves the strict regulations surrounding the sale and the export of commercially grown cherrics.Fruit in the warehouse is inspected rigorously to ensure maggot-free fruit. A commercial cherry grower's fruit in which a Cherry Fruit Fly Maggot is discovered will be dumped. The rest of that grower's fruit will be denied entry into the warehouse. In many cases, growers who have a fruit fly maggot found in their fruit would be eliminated from the warehouse and refused entry into other warehouses in the future. If one fruit fly maggot is found inside the warehouse, all of the growers in that warehouse will be expelled from the California market for 5 days. If another fruit fly maggot is found, the warehouse will be expelled from the market for the remainder of the season. If one fruit fly maggot is found the next season, the entire warehouse will be expelled from that market for the season. With as many as 200 growers belonging to larger warehouses, the economic impact of market expulsion from a state such as California (a major consumer of Washington's cherry crop) would be very serious to the growers, the warehouses, and the community.

A: The only sure way to control Cherry Fruit Fly on your backyard tree is to spray with insecticides. This is what commercial growers must do. Normally, you would have to apply 4-5 sprays for cherry fruit fly before harvest, and 1-2 sprays after harvest (if all the fruit is not picked). Remember, a full-grown cherry tree may be 20-30 feet tall! It takes special equipment to spray a tree of this size. When it is small, it can be covered with a hand sprayer available at nurseries or garden supply stores, but larger trees require high-pressure sprayers. For larger trees, you can have a local reputable spray service provide pest control.

A: If a commercial grower suspects that your tree is infested with cherry fruit fly, that grower can lodge a complaint with the local Horticultural Pest and Disease
Boards. These boards, set up in each county in Washington, are responsible for handling complaints and eliminating infestations. A board representative will contact you about your tree.

If you are not controlling cherry fruit fly, the representative will give you instructions on how to do so, and will follow up to make sure that you have complied. If you still do nothing, the board will have a commercial pesticide applicator come in and spray the tree, and charge you for it. If you refuse to pay the bill, a lien will be placed against your property taxes to ensure payment.

A: You have two options. The first option is to start spraying on a regular schedule for Cherry Fruit Fly. You can obtain information on pesticides and timing of sprays to control this pest from your local WSU Cooperative Extension office at 315 Palouse St., Wenatchee, WA 98801. Phone: 667-6540. The second option is to cut the tree down, and buy your cherries from fruit stands or grocery stores. Think carefully about the cost of buying fruit versus the cost of 5- 7 pesticide sprays every year, plus the time and effort it takes to put them on.

A: Decide whether you want to accept all the responsibility for taking care of the tree every year. Are you ready to do the pruning, spraying, and harvesting? Are you willing to buy special spray equipment, or to have a commercial pesticide applicator spray several times per season? Do you want to have pesticides sprayed regularly around your home, where they may come into contact with pets or children? Are you prepared to control pests or have the tree removed? Do you eat enough cherries during the year to make having a cherry tree worthwhile?