Catching apple and pear sawfly with white sticky roller tape

Adult sawflies are attracted to white colour, which is exploited in sticky traps for monitoring and reducing populations. White sticky roller tapes (CatchIT, Andermatt NL) were tested in organic orchards across the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Switzerland, on various apple and pear cultivars. Tapes were installed before flowering and removed after, with varying lengths and densities. Results showed significant damage reduction: 65–91% for apple sawfly and 74–100% for pear sawfly. Catch rates reached up to 5,000–6,000 sawflies per hectare. Tape density did not significantly affect catch numbers. Statistical differences from control are marked with (*).