Emma Miller
Apple trees are some of the tastiest fruits for pests. Almost every homeowner has picked a worm crop from an apple tree. Apple trees are attacked by codling moths. These pests can also eat pears and quinces. They lay eggs on trees in early summer, gnaw out the pulp in the fruit in August, and stay in the bark for the winter in the fall.
To protect the crop from these insects, you need to spray the plant with pest control products during the summer. And at the beginning of autumn, the trunk is treated so that there will be no insects next year.
Treatment of apple trees from fruit moths with chemical means
Chemical treatments of apple trees begin in May when the temperature does not fall below +10 degrees. It is prohibited to use chemicals during fruit ripening, as pesticides can penetrate into the pulp.
Agro-stores offer a wide range of preparations against apple fruit borer. Often, the insecticides Karfofos, Inta-vir, Dimilin, and Insegar are used against caterpillars. Preparations should be used according to the instructions and not exceed the specified dose, so as not to harm the tree.
Food baits for apple tree pests
Apple fruit borers love the sweet smell. Gardeners can make sweet traps for pests. For this purpose, fermented sweet apple compote is poured into buckets or jars. Containers are placed throughout the garden. Insects fly to the drink and drown in it.
Decoctions from pests of apple trees with their own hands
There are many folkways of spraying trees from fruit trees. You can make a decoction from plants that the insect is afraid of. These are wormwood, yarrow, tomato haulm, burdock, tansy, chamomile, and milkweed. Pour 50 g of herbs into a saucepan of boiling water and infuse it for 3 hours. Treat trees in this decoction once a week.
Tobacco solution is effective in repelling apple pests. Pour 500 g of dried tobacco into 10 liters of water and leave it for two days. Then boil the liquid for two hours and cool it. When the solution cools, pour a bucket of water into it. Treat apple trees against caterpillars and butterflies.
Camphor rubbing alcohol is another remedy for robberies. It can be bought at pharmacies. Soak small pieces of cloth in it and hang them on apple tree branches. Repeat the procedure once a week, as the alcohol wears off.
Apple tree treatment in autumn
To ensure that next year’s crops are not spoiled by fruit crackers, you need to treat trees in late summer or early fall. Caterpillars overwinter in the bark of apple trees. In order to prevent this, the old bark on the tree is cleaned and the trunk of the tree is sprayed with one of the above insect repellents.
Apple tree trunks can be doused with hot water (50°-60°). Caterpillar pupae are afraid of hot water.
Apple pests are deterred by the smell of tomatoes, so several tomato bushes can be planted between apple trees. Flowers can also be planted between the apples, as pollinating insects can prey on fruit eaters.
What to do with wormy apples
Apples in which pests have been observed are not suitable for eating. Unfortunately, they will have to be thrown away or used as fodder for livestock. Even after heat treatment, such apples can be toxic.
