BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – In 2023, a frost in May decimated the region’s apple crop. This year, growers are enjoying a complete rebound.

“This is 180 degrees out from last year,” said Phil Murdock of Chapin Orchards.

Last year, bloomless and bare branches forced Murdock to import apples from out of state to sustain his business. A late May freeze decimated what experts say was around 90% of the region’s harvest, but the apples we missed picking last year are back. As Murdock describes it, it’s a once-in-a-decade crop.

“I think the trees last year didn’t have to work to produce anything, a lot of pent-up energy, so they produced with vigor this year,” said Murdock.

The trees are full of apples, with so many of them that even apple expert Terence Bradshaw was excited by their almost logic-defying abundance and size.

“We didn’t really have flooding issues in the orchards, but we had plenty of water, so of the fruit we have it’s really good sized, so that’s nice. Because often when we have these big heavy years, the fruit are smaller, but these are a decent size,” said Bradshaw.

And with nights getting colder, Bradshaw tells me the apple starches turn sweet, and the first batch of cider at Adam’s Apple Orchard was pressed Friday.

“We’re happy to be making our own cider with our own apples again. We didn’t make much last year, so it feels like we’re back to normal,” said John Adams from Adam’s Apple Orchard.

With the apple industry back to business as usual, the only thing these growers asked for was good weather for the pick-your-own season.

Orchard owners tell me that this year’s apples should be good until November, so go out and pick your own.

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BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The threat of triple-e remains a concern across our region and many extermination companies are working to address a sharp rise in calls to spray for mosquitoes, the vectors of the rare but deadly disease.

With sprayers fired up and ready to go, pest control companies are making sure their gear is in tip-top shape to respond to calls for mosquitoes.

“There has been a significant change. We have some of these customers calling us back and saying, ‘Hey, let’s get back on the schedule. We want this service because we don’t want any of these viruses that are spreading from the mosquitoes,’” said Ian Gordon with Vermont Pest Control.

In the last couple of weeks, the threat of eastern equine encephalitis has expanded in parts of Vermont, including in parts of Rutland, Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties, and businesses like Gordon’s have seen their calls double to spray properties. “We want to make sure that we’re trimming back the vegetation around the house — the dark areas – pay attention to those, and if you have standing water or anything around your property,” Gordon said.

He says the pesticides they use are EPA-certified and stick to the vegetation and that they are not harmful to pets or people. He says they can only spray when the wind speeds are low.

The state in the past has contracted for aerial spraying of trouble spots but no decision has been made on whether to do that this season.

“There is a real risk, but it’s a small risk. I don’t want people to be over alarmed but I also want people to know how to keep themselves safe in easy ways,” said Dr. Tim Lahey, an infectious disease expert at the UVM Medical Center. He says symptoms of triple-e include fever, headache, and vomiting and that the disease can be deadly.

New Hampshire officials reported last week that an infected resident died. In Vermont, health officials say a man in his 40s from Chittenden County was the first detected case of the virus in Vermont since 2012. They recommend using insect repellent if you do need to be outside. In high-risk areas — Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester, Swanton, and Sudbury — they suggest wearing long sleeves and long pants or avoiding spending time outside at dawn and dusk.

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The Green Mountain state followed
neighboring Massachusetts in recommending that residents stay indoors during
nighttime hours amid a rise in EEE cases.

The Vermont Department of Health
“strongly recommend[ed]” that residents in some of the state’s
busiest towns remain indoors between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., when mosquitoes—known
carriers of the virus—were most active. This precaution came alongside the
postponement of local nighttime festivals and concerts.

EEE, transmitted by mosquitoes and
originating from infected horses, could lead to brain swelling, vomiting,
seizures, and death.

While the virus is rare, affecting
approximately 11 Americans annually, it had already claimed one life in New
England in 2024. Steven Perry, 41, a father of four, died from the virus in New
Hampshire the previous week, marking the state’s first case in a decade.

In Massachusetts, similar curfews
were implemented, resulting in the postponement of sports games, cookouts, and
other end-of-summer events. Vermont’s measures mirrored those taken across
state lines.

August saw the first human case of
EEE in Vermont since 2012. The Vermont Health Department identified Burlington,
Colchester, Alburg, Swanton, and Sudbury as areas at highest risk, following
the detection of 47 groups of infected mosquitoes across 11 communities—a
significant increase from the previous year’s 14 positive groups in three
towns.

Notable event cancellations included
Burlington’s annual Oktoberfest, one of the state’s largest gatherings. The
event’s organizer issued a statement: “While the eventual outcome of this
virus’ impact and the general response from the public is not our judgment call
to make, the significant costs associated with organizing this event prevented
us from delaying this decision any further to find out.”

Additional cancellations affected
music and food festivals, art shows, concerts, and outdoor movies.

With no vaccine or specific
treatment available for EEE, the Vermont Health Department emphasized that
prevention is crucial. “The best way to reduce your risk of infection with
EEE is by limiting time outdoors at dawn and dusk,” officials advised. If
outdoor activity was necessary, they recommended using bug spray and wearing
long sleeves.

Notably, EEE targets the nervous
system similarly to other mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile. Initial
symptoms include flu-like signs such as fever, chills, and body aches, which
could progress to more severe conditions like brain swelling, mild disability and
death in about 30 percent of cases. Individuals over 50 or under 15 are
particularly vulnerable to severe complications.