TFREC Entomology

Tree Fruit Research Center Entomologists

Entomologists at the Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center located in Wenatchee, WA strive to develop better pest management practices through advancements in the understanding of insect biology, behavior, and the interactions between orchard ecosystems and the inputs that are necessary to produce quality tree fruit crops.

Jay F. Brunner ~ Direct Insect Pests in Apple

Jay Brunner's research interests include integrated pest management of insect pests on tree fruit crops, development of sampling methods and thresholds, development of predictive models of insect phenology, evaluating biological control agents of tree fruit pests and use of mating disruption as a tactic for management of Lepidoptera pests of tree fruit.

Elizabeth H. Beers ~ Indirect Insect Pests in Apple

Elizabeth Beers' research interests include plant-herbivore interaction and the influence on yield and productivity, integrated biological control, and establishing baselines and promoting resistance management for tetranychid mite pests of apple and pear.

John E. Dunley ~ Pear Entomology

John Dunley's research interests include developing best-practice and low impact pest management programs, monitoring pesticide resistance, and increasing biological control.

Vincent P. Jones ~ Insect Ecology & Behavior

Vince Jones' research interests include developing better sampling programs, population dynamics occurring in the orchard, population level mechanisms by which mating disruption acts on target pests, and using protein markers to examine the local movement of insects between areas treated and untreated with mating disruption.