Leek moth (LM) is a relatively new invasive pest currently expanding its range through Vermont. Endemic to Europe, this invasive moth can inflict significant damage to a diversity of allium crops including onions, leeks and garlic.

As leaf miners, the larvae of the moth feed on leaf tissue of allium plants. Because leek moth larvae feed internally on host plants, organic control of the pest can be problematic, as the window for application of most measures must be timed precisely for effective control.

Join Scott Lewins and Victor Izzo of UVM Plant & Soil Science Department on a tour of Catamount Farm, looking at their field trials. They will discuss their VT Agency of Ag. Specialty Crops Block Grant funded project coordinating LM monitoring throughout the state and comparing six different varieties of red storage onions, and using the egg parasitoid Trichogramma to manage LM during vulnerable periods of the season.