Codling moth control in Apples and Pears.
Codling moth (Cydia pomonella )
Codling moth is usually regarded by gardeners as a real problem when they find their apples and pears infected by these insects. The problem may not surface until the fruit is quite large or even harvested. It can have a devastating effect on the crop.
The best way to control any insect is to understand its life cycle and identify its vulnerable points.
Its life cycle is shown in the diagram
There are four parts.
Winter. Prune the tree and remove any loose bark, mummified fruit and the like. Good garden hygiene is important. Spray the tree with non-toxic “All Seasons Spraying Oil”. This will smother the pupa and maybe kill it. Two winter sprays with this will work wonders.
Spring. The female lays her eggs on the leaves and we need to undertake a spray with an insect killing material (Carbaryl is commonly used) when the caterpillars are hatching and before they nibble their way into the very young small fruit. The entry point is usually down through the middle of the calyx or through the skin leaving a round red ring as a tell-tale sign.
As the caterpillars are chewing insects we need to use a material that stays on the surface of the leaf or spent flower. Do not spray when it is in full flower as spray tends to induce an artificial fruit thinning and can make the tree drop forming fruit.
Careful monitoring using pheromone traps can pin point the best time to spray.
In recent years codling moth pheromone traps have been developed commercially and by gardeners. These traps attract the male moths hopefully before they mate with the female moths. The moths may be flying in October, November and December depending upon the climate. Their hatching trigger is temperature. Most will of course hatch when the flowers are finished and the fruit is very young and vulnerable.
Commercial traps can be purchased from your garden centre.
Homemade traps can be made using this formula and system
Repeat each year. Some years no moths may be caught but do not rely on this the following year as neighbouring trees on someone else’s property may not be treated and infestation can come from there.
Codling moth is usually regarded by gardeners as a real problem when they find their apples and pears infected by these insects. The problem may not surface until the fruit is quite large or even harvested. It can have a devastating effect on the crop.
The best way to control any insect is to understand its life cycle and identify its vulnerable points.
Its life cycle is shown in the diagram
There are four parts.
- Adult. The pupa hatches in spring to produce both male and female moths and they mate and the female lays eggs on the new leaves on the tree. It is hard to spray and kill flying moths but trapping male moths is possible. Moths tend to emerge just after the flowers have finished and the petals are falling.
- Eggs. They are very difficult to see and difficult to kill. The adult female moth lays these on the new leaves or on the surface of the new fruit.
- Larvae. These are tiny black headed caterpillars and they hatch in October, November or December depending upon region and are therefore vulnerable to interventions before they eat their way into the middle of the fruit. They leave the fruit when they are large enough.
- Pupa. The caterpillar leaves the fruit and finds a nice cosy place under the bark or similar in which to over winter.
Winter. Prune the tree and remove any loose bark, mummified fruit and the like. Good garden hygiene is important. Spray the tree with non-toxic “All Seasons Spraying Oil”. This will smother the pupa and maybe kill it. Two winter sprays with this will work wonders.
Spring. The female lays her eggs on the leaves and we need to undertake a spray with an insect killing material (Carbaryl is commonly used) when the caterpillars are hatching and before they nibble their way into the very young small fruit. The entry point is usually down through the middle of the calyx or through the skin leaving a round red ring as a tell-tale sign.
As the caterpillars are chewing insects we need to use a material that stays on the surface of the leaf or spent flower. Do not spray when it is in full flower as spray tends to induce an artificial fruit thinning and can make the tree drop forming fruit.
Careful monitoring using pheromone traps can pin point the best time to spray.
In recent years codling moth pheromone traps have been developed commercially and by gardeners. These traps attract the male moths hopefully before they mate with the female moths. The moths may be flying in October, November and December depending upon the climate. Their hatching trigger is temperature. Most will of course hatch when the flowers are finished and the fruit is very young and vulnerable.
Commercial traps can be purchased from your garden centre.
Homemade traps can be made using this formula and system
- 1 cup of vinegar, Cider vinegar.
- 1/3 cup of molasses or treacle. This contains the pheromone hormone that will attract the male moths to and in the sticky glue.
- 1/8 teaspoon of ammonia
- 1.5 litres of water.
- Get a clean plastic milk bottle and make some holes near the shoulder leaving a little piece of plastic to act as a veranda over the hold to stop rain getting in
- Place some of the mixture in the bottom of a plastic milk bottle and screw on the cap. Use the rest of the mixture in several more traps.
- Hang in the tree when it starts to flower to attract the male moths into the container through the holes at the shoulder.
Repeat each year. Some years no moths may be caught but do not rely on this the following year as neighbouring trees on someone else’s property may not be treated and infestation can come from there.