[The Rock]

Hi!
How can we stop worms from eating the apples in the trees?
I live in Ontario, Canada and it's starting to get warm and It won't be long before the flowers will strart showing in the trees.

Thanks in adavance

[fredg]

Hi, Rock,
I live in the United States, and we use a pesticide spray; applied with either a two gallon type hand sprayer, or with a larger, more commercial type sprayer, on wheels, pulled by a tractor.
Are there any Farm Stores, Cooperative Stores, etc, in your local area?
Talking with them could give you information on what type of sprays others use.
If you have any problems with birds, try hanging some aluminum foil strips from the apple tree branches. Birds are afraid of the constant spinning, and glare. It does work for awhile. I don't know any other remedy for worms other than spraying. I do wish you the best of luck.

[DAVE231]

To get the best results from fruit trees you need to put together a spray program and stick to it. You should use an all purpose spray that covers many insects and diseases. Bonide Company makes an excellent all purpose fruit tree spray product and is sold at Home Depot. Concentrated solution and makes a lot of spray when diluted properly with water. Now is also the time for a dormant oil spray that will take care of scale and other problems. It's a horticulature spray oil that is not toxic. When used following instructions, I have found that Bonide products work without being hazardous. Just remember to follow the directions exactly and never spray on a windy day or when flowers open. Bees are the pollinators of most fruit, and some sprays will kill them. It took me many years to decide that the bugs will win without a spray program. BUT- You must follow directions exactly and make sure to apply and use the product in the way it was designed to be applied. Good Luck. P.S.--Best time to spray is at first light in the morning when the wind is calm.

[jim40scot]

Most apple worm problems /damage in the northern climates are caused by the apple maggot. The adult fly resembles a small house fly. This fly emerges in late June through late July in my area, Port Huron Mi. it immediately mates, then the female injects her eggs into the maturing fruit. The eggs hatch inside the apple and the larve tunnel throughout the fruit and also secrete a substance which causes the fruit to drop early. The maggots then leave the fruit and burrow into the earth where they overwinter until next summer when they emerge as adult flies,and the nasty little buggers start the cycle over again.However, they can be controlled by applying a pesticide called Imidan a couple of times during the period that the flies become active. Check with your local province/ county ag agent as they track this emergence date accurately and usually have call in number or website that you can access. Good luck.
Jim

[LindaS56]

Both the apple maggot and the coddling moth cause damage to apples, pears and Asian pears. The apple maggot fly lays eggs just under the skin of the apple, then when it hatches it eats through the fruit. The coddling moth lays eggs on the leaves, branches and sometimes the fruit. When it hatches it eats a tunnel through the fruit to get to the seeds.

Members of the Seattle Tree Fruit Society in Washington state has been using Maggot Barriers to protect the fruit for several years. Maggot Barriers are nearly 100% effective against apple maggot and 75% - 80% effective against coddling moth. Maggot Barriers are small nylon "socks" that are slipped over the fruit when they are about the size of a marble. Unlike a plastic bag or paper bag, they allow water, air and sunshine in.

You can order Maggot Barriers by sending an email to [email protected] (formerly [email protected]). They cost $20 for 300 and all proceeds go to the non-profit group which supports fruit research and education.