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Apple Maggot. Adult flies usually begin to emerge
in mid-June and continue to emerge for about 3 months.
Female flies lay eggs in fruit. Upon hatching, the maggot
feeds and tunnels within the fruit. Abandoned, unsprayed
apple and pear trees plus hawthorn and pyracantha are all
major sources of infestation. Control should be applied
within 1 week of when the first adult flies are trapped.
Guthion, Imidan, Lorsban, or Penncap-M in scheduled
cover sprays will control maggot adults (flies). Diazinon
and Sevin are also labeled for maggot control.
Black Peach Aphid. Unlike other aphids, the black
peach aphid feeds below ground on peach roots and large
populations can severely debilitate young trees. In
spring, many of these overwintering root feeders emerge to
establish colonies on the buds. Their color is dark brown
to black and when full grown, are nearly 1/10 inch long.
Populations can increase rapidly as the winged forms
spread the infestation throughout the orchard. In
midsummer, aphids disperse downward through soil
cracks to peach roots where they spend the winter. Once
aphids become established on the roots, control is
difficult. Control on twigs and leaves is best achieved
with either Lannate or Thiodan applied early in the season
before leaves become deformed. The most effective
control of the black peach aphid is to prevent its
introduction into the orchard on the roots of nursery
stock. Dipping the roots of nursery trees in an endosulfan
solution for controling peach tree borer should also kill
black peach aphids. Use endosulfan 3EC at 2-2/3 qts/40
gallons of water or endosulfan 50WSB at 4lbs/40 gallons
of water. Dip trees so roots and crowns are covered well
above the grafting scar.
Catfacing Insects. The tarnished plant bug and the
dusky, green, and brown stink bugs collectively form the
group called catfacing insects. Their feeding on peaches
during the pink and petalfall through shuck split periods
generally results in dimpled, fuzz-free areas and aborted
fruit. Feeding during the shuck fall to second and third
covers results in unsightly, slightly sunken, callused,
black blemishes on the skin surface generally 1/16 to 1/4
inch in diameter. These insects overwinter as adults and
move into peach orchards about the time buds begin to
swell. Because these bugs are strong fliers, their presence
may be widespread, and depending upon availability of
other host plants, injury can vary considerably from block
to block. Other hosts include vetch, alfalfa, clover,
goldenrod, fleabane, dog fennel, pigweed, ragweed,
lambsquarter, and dozens of different kinds of flowers and
commercial vegetables. Where catfacing has been a
problem, insecticide applications are essential at PF and
shuck split. Additional bug controls are needed during
the shuck split to shuck fall period through third covers,
depending upon the extent of the bug populations. Early
season orchard cultivation is risky because it to forces the
bugs up into the trees. Insecticides for controlling
catfacing insects include Carzol, Guthion, Penncap-M,
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and Thiodan. Eliminating alternate weed hosts in the
orchard should reduce damage caused by this pest
complex
Codling Moth. This pest attacks fruit of apples and
pears and is not tolerated in commercial fruit. The
earliest fruit entries by codling moth larvae usually occur
about the time the second cover is applied. Second brood
larval activity takes place during August. Control should
be timed with trap catches and a degree-day model.
Diazinon, Guthion, Imidan, Lorsban, and Penncap-M
provide good control when applied according to schedule.
Dogwood Borer. This insect is attracted to apple
burr knots or partially developed root initials that form a
mass of soft tissue on the trunk of size-controlling
rootstocks. The borer problem can be aggravatedby
mesh screen rabbit guards that collect and hold leaves
about the trunk, thus providing a more favorable
environment for development. Control can be achieved
by applying 2 pounds Lorsban 50WP as a butt spray
during early June and again mid-August. For best
results, drench the burr knot area with a handgun.
European Apple Sawfly. Adults are small, dark
brown, clear-winged, fly-like wasps. Larvae overwinter in
the soil, and pupate in the early spring. Adults emerge
and lay eggs between pink and petal fall. Eggs are laid
near the calyx end of the fruit. As the larvae feed, they
form a winding borrow just under the skin, leaving a
russetted scar at harvest. Uncontrolled larvae can enter a
second fruit and borrow into the core. A petal fall spray of
Guthion or Imidan usually provides adequate control, but
in problem blocks both pink and petal fall sprays may be
needed.
European Red Mite. The European red mite
overwinters in the egg stage on twigs and in bark cracks
and crevices. On apples, eggs normally hatch during the
prepink to early bloom bud stages, whereupon the mite
larvae crawl to the unfolding leaves and commence
feeding. European red mites can build up to the point
where leaf bronzing is visible by mid- to late July. If leaf
damage is both heavy and early enough (second to fourth
covers), next yearís crop can even by affected. Superior
oil applications on apple from delayed dormant through
tight cluster provide good control as do prebloom Apollo
and Savey applications. In recent years,a number of
orchards were found to have strains of mites with various
degrees of resistance to Kelthane, Carzol, and Vendex.
Because of this problem, pre-bloom control with either
oil, Apollo, or Savey becomes even more important.
Petal-fall miticide sprays can help season-long mite
control. Early control measures often increase the
likelihood of good predator-to-prey ratios by allowing
mite predators to keep mites below treatment levels.
Green Peach Aphid. Large numbers of aphids suck
the plant juice from the leaves causing them to become
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