Apple problems

Discussion in 'Garden Pest Management and Identification' started by cwbtg, Jun 23, 2007.

  1. cwbtg

    cwbtg Member

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    Location:
    Pennsylvania, USA
    This is the first year I have sprayed my apple trees. The apples they made last year had little black sappy holes and the apples got all deformed. Inside the apples there were all these brown trails. What kind of worms do this to apples? The spray I have been using is diazinon and I have been using it every 2 weeks. Should I be using something else? Should I use it more often? Will this spray be effective against the problems my apples have had in the past? I am new to this as I got 3 apple trees at Walmart for $5 each a few years. Now they are big and beautiful and covered with apples! Any help anyone can give me I would very much appreciate. Thanks.
     
  2. LindaS56

    LindaS56 Member

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    Location:
    Seattle
    Re: apple maggots

    Hi...

    You've got apple maggots in your apples. First, stop spraying your apples. The pesticide you are using won't affect the apple maggots, only kill all of the beneficial insects in your yard.

    The apple maggot starts out as a fly, a little smaller than the house fly. It emerges around late May to early June. After it mates, the female fly pierces the apple skin and lays an egg. The egg hatches and the larvae (worm) eats its way through the apple. As it eats, it poops and bacteria form. That's the brown stuff you see. After it eats it's fill of apple, often the apple dies and falls to the ground. The larvae exits the apple and goes underground for the winter. Next spring, it emerges as a fly and starts the process all over again.

    There are several effective ways to stop the apple maggot. The maggot barriers, spinosad spray, and chickens.

    The maggot barriers are nylon socks that you pull over your apples. They prevent the female apple maggot fly from laying eggs in your apples. You can get them at www.applesandmore@hotmail.com. You will want to get them soon to protect as many of your apples as possible this year. The apple maggot fly may have hit some of your apples already this year, but you may be able to protect the majority of them. If your order enough for this year and next year, you'll be able to put them on your apples next spring and have worm-free apples next year.

    Some people have found spinosad to work. You need to spray several times during the summer, timing the sprays based on heat days.

    Chickens are also effective because they eat the worms after they fall to the ground, but before they have a chance to burrow into the ground. Once they're in the ground, they're untouchable.

    Using red or yellow sticky traps reduce the population and let you know when the flies emerge in your area. It's also helpful to pick up any apples that fall right away to reduce the number of worms before they can go in the ground. Boil or grind the apples in the garbage disposal to kill the larvae. Don't compost them.

    I hope this info helps.
     
  3. LindaS56

    LindaS56 Member

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    Location:
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    Re: apple maggots

    Hi ...

    I gave the wrong email address for the Maggot Barriers. It should be: applesandmore@hotmail.com.
     

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