Rhagoletis pomonella
Us gardeners incline not to like sharing our fruit and vegetables , especially not with wriggling maggot , and least of all when we find them in one of our favorite eccentric of garden truck : orchard apple tree .
regrettably , flies likeRhagoletis pomonelladon’t ask before they lay their eggs on your yield , so we do n’t have much say in whether their larvae eats down or not .
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Photo by H.J. Larsen, Bugwood.org.
Or do we ?
There are a variety of ways to stop these pests before they can get to your orchard fruits , and you ’ll learn them in this template .
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Are Apple Maggots?
Malus pumila maggot are a major terror toMalus domestica , but these pests will also attackcrabapple , hawthorn , pear , plum , cherry red , andcotoneasterplants .
They are aboriginal to the eastern United States and Canada , but this species has migrated west and become a serious pestilence from coast to coast in North America .
In region where the eggs were position on the fruit , you ’ll see a little dimple . As the larvae provender inside , invade fruit becomes twisted , inedible , pitted , misshapen , rotten , and discolored .
The adult tent flap emerge throughout the summertime and are present from July to September , with population top out in late July and other August .
They can be obscure with codling moth larvae ( Cydia pomonella ) , and on-line searches for photos ofR. pomonelladamage will often twist up pictures of incorrectly labeled codling moth damage .
But codling moths create tunnels through the fruit , leave behind frass pellet behind , and their larva have distinct head capsules and six legs – unlike the larvae ofRhagoletis pomonella .
They also grow to 20 millimeters in distance , which is two fourth dimension the size of apple maggots .
Apple maggots and snowberry maggots ( Rhagoletis zephyria ) look very similar , but snowberry maggot do n’t fee on apples or pear .
Identification
The larvae are white , legless maggots , without a distinguishable nous capsule . But they do have two dark - colourize oral fissure hooks . When mature , they can strive six and a half to eight millimetre long .
Pupae are ellipse shaped , five millimetre long , and Au to brown in color .
adult are fourth - inch - farsighted fly that look like house tent flap except they have black and white markings .
Their exculpated wings have a contraband droopy VF - shaped marking , they have a white spot where their thorax reaches their abdomen , and dull scarlet eyes . The females have four white stripes on their abdominal cavity , while males have three .
Biology and Life Cycle
The pupae overwinter beneath the land near host plants , and the grownup start emerge in the summertime , stay to go forth throughout the season until downfall .
The adults , which have a two- to four - week life-time , may initially feed on honeydew , birdie droppings , and other appetising morsels outside of your orchard or garden , in the woods or bushy area nearby .
After feeding for seven to 10 days they become sexually fledged , mate , and the females are attracted to ripening yield to lie their bollock in . Each female can repose up to 500 orchis .
Once hatched , the larvae provender for three to four weeks inside your apples , cherry , or pear tree .
Once the fruits drop , the larvae exit and pupate in the ground . This is of import to be mindful of for direction , so keep this in head !
Monitoring
If you hold back to learn whether you have an apple maggot trouble until you see discredited fruit , you ’re already too late .
This insect is such a big problem , and the monitoring techniques rise and used by growers are unique and clever .
I often mention gluey traps in this division of pest direction template , and I unremarkably think of those chicken sticky bill of fare , which areavailable at Arbico Organics .
Yellow Sticky Cards
Those workplace for monitor these flies too , but not as well as a pasty , bright cherry-red , round plastic trap .
The trap must be three inch in diam with a bright red color to work well enough to be used as an efficient monitoring tool , as well as a direction tool .
So - called Ladd traps coalesce a yellow rectangular sticky trap with a red sphere for increased trapping capacity , and these are specifically design to point apple maggot .
Arbico Organics carries a kitwith everything you need to set up these specific sand trap .
Apple Maggot Trap Kit
A red apple coat in Tanglefoot Tangle - Trap Sticky Coating works as well but this is a wastefulness of fruit , in my opinion .
Hang one trap per 100 fruits , and hang not only in the orchard trees themselves , but also in uncivilised apple , hawthorn , and other hazardous hosts nearby . Hang the traps starting in June , and ascertain them each week to clean off the fly front , reapply gluey cloth if necessary , and monitor number .
Organic Control Methods
In this section you ’ll recover a variety of control method you could utilise as part of a completeintegrated pest management ( IPM)strategy to essay to operate this scourge of apples ’ existence .
Cultural and Physical Control
snare the adult with the traps mentioned in the monitoring section above is one strategy that helps to decoct damage .
Other methods include using physical barriers .
you may use plastic bags with zip - tops to inclose fruit on your Tree or staple a plastic bag around the yield in June , leaving a small scuttle in the bottom for water to melt out , or habituate the nylon bagsArbico Organics carries , which stretch with the yield as it grow .
Maggot Barriers
Technically a spraying , but act as a forcible barrier , kaolin clay , available at Arbico Organics , is also used to discourage egg laying .
Surround WP
lying in wait and kaolin corpse make a neat restraint span . Once spray on the plants , the light color of the mud is a visual repellent , deterring the insects from the otherwise alluring , brightly colored fruits .
The clay also work as a strong-arm barrier , making it unmanageable for the female to lay their ballock .
Kaolin clay does n’t persist long , unluckily , and must be reapplied after rainwater , and as the fruit thrive .
Keeping your garden or orchard clean is also crucial .
Keep an eye out for dimpled fruit , and take out and destroy them to get a jump on the larvae before the fruit surrender and the larvae pupate . Pick your yield ofttimes , pluck up fallen yield as shortly as potential , and do n’t compost infested fruit .
Biological Control
alas , biologic controls are not effective against this insect .
The adults do n’t have any specific significant foeman besides the odd athirst piranha , and the larvae pelt inside the fruit and are difficult for predatory insects and other enemies to reach .
Organic Pesticides
Using pesticide against the larvae is not helpful , but you could essay applying spinosad , available as Entrust SC Naturalyte Insect Controlat Arbico Organicsto the foliage to suppress the adult .
commit SC Naturalyte Insect Control
Keep in judgement that this merchandise can be toxic to pollinator and other insects , so do n’t utilise it during the twenty-four hour period if there are flush and bee visitant introduce .
Chemical Pesticide Control
Because the larvae are safely hide in the fruit , and the adults may not gossip the woodlet until they are quick to lay orchis , they can be hard to operate with liaison chemicals .
Carbaryl and phosmet , applied three to four multiplication per time of year , have been used successfully against orchard apple tree maggots . Keep in mind that many chemic pesticide are hazardous to beneficial dirt ball and other organisms that could dwell your trees .
Get Your Own Future Pie, Fly
These pocket-sized tent flap and their irritating larvae are not easy to find and check , but as luck would have it , we do it a trick or two that can serve us in the fighting over our precious apples .
Traps and physical barriers might not be the best options for commercial apple agriculturalist , but for us backyard gardeners and orchardists these are manageable , good options to stress .
It ’s worth at least attempting to save our future fresh snack and pies , correct ?
While you ’re at it , take about other pestsanddiseasesthat regard apple fruits here :
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About
Sylvia Dekker
