Working in media relations, we don't always think about the very-well-read section of the newspaper's editorial pages, the letters to the editor. But it can be a powerful outreach tool.

The UC ANR blog, written by Mike Bolda and titled "Strawberries and Caneberries," was recently plugged in a letter to the Ashland (Oregon) Daily Tidings by none other than Mike's sister, Karen Bolda.

An Ashland resident, Karen Bolda wrote:

"The Nov. 12 article on the discovery of the harmful fruit fly is very timely. My brother, who works with the University of California Agriculture Extension, has been trying to get the word out on this infestation this summer, and he was excited to hear that Southern Oregon is aware of the existence of this variation of the fruit fly. He wanted me to pass on the link to his blog for anyone who wants to find out more information about the life cycle, or stay in the loop of this very current issue for berry growers: ucanr.org/blogs/strawberries_caneberries."

Mike Bolda has posted detailed information about spotted-wing drosophila and many photos in these two blog postings:

• The importance of enhanced sanitation for management of the spotted-wing drosophila
• Use of chemical pesticides to control spotted-wing drosophila

The UC IPM Web site also contains information and photos of spotted wing drosophila, including male and female adults, and a maggot in fruit.