Apple codling moth on an apple tree: control measures - when to spray and with what preparations and means

One of the most unpleasant scourges that a gardener faces is the codling moth. The insect spreads quickly, affecting all trees within a radius of up to 1 km. Most often, farmers in the central and southwestern parts of Russia face a similar problem. Fighting such a pest takes many months and sometimes years of hard work, which includes a whole range of measures. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the codling moth will leave you without a harvest in the first years, and then the damage caused to it will lead to tree diseases and a decrease in its productivity. In this article we will look at the biological characteristics of this pest, and most importantly, ways to combat it.

Morphological features of the insect

Due to their protective coloring, adult, sexually mature individuals of the codling moth often settle in the garden unnoticed; farmers simply do not see them. It’s not surprising, because the folded wings of a butterfly merge with the bark of a tree. In terms of dimensions, this is a fairly large insect, the wingspan ranges between 15 and 23 mm. The large upper wings are dark gray, sometimes brownish in color. In its center there is an oval speck of brown or grayish color, the rest of the surface is streaked with regular wavy stripes. The lower wings are much smaller and colored brownish-gray. A slight fringe is visible along the edge, which is slightly lighter than the main color.

The eggs are flattened, white and glossy. From them come caterpillars, the length of which is 15-20 mm. The pupae are small, only 10-12 mm, light brown in color, covered with shiny pollen.

The caterpillar is pinkish-beige in color with a distinct brown head and nuchal shield.

How to treat an apple tree against codling moth?

As for the choice of chemical means of protecting apple trees from this pest, today the choice is simply huge, so you can choose a product to suit any wallet size. However, many of them have not yet been tested in practice for long enough, so it is best to give preference to reliable drugs that have already earned positive reviews from gardeners. The drugs include such drugs as Kinmiks, Decis, Fury and Inta-vir.

It is known that the mass flight of butterflies occurs in the evening, so the treatment of apple trees with the above preparations should be done in a quiet evening without wind or precipitation. It is necessary to spray not only those branches that are affected, but the entire tree so that the insect does not have a single shelter left.

In order for the fight against the codling moth to be most effective, use these products in the period between the females laying eggs on the apple tree and the damage to the fruits by the caterpillars that have hatched from them.

Many herbs also have a detrimental effect on this pest. The most “favorite” plants of the codling moth are wormwood, burdock, and tansy. She also doesn't like pine needles. From these herbs you need to prepare an infusion in the proportion of 3 parts herb to 7 parts water and treat the garden with this natural preparation. The first treatment is carried out during the end of flowering of apple trees, the second – two weeks later. For prevention, after another 14 days, the trees are treated for the third time.

Pheromone traps have become a very popular means of combating this pest. This device distributes the smell of pheromones from female codling moths within a radius of 50 meters, thereby attracting males. They fly to the scent, fall into a trap and die without having time to fertilize a large number of females.

To completely get rid of codling moths in your garden, perhaps the most important thing is to take a comprehensive approach. Do not neglect the rules of agricultural technology. It is also necessary to regularly carry out preventive treatment of trees.

Biological characteristics of the insect

The main biological characteristics of the codling moth are related to the course of its life cycle. Provided that the total sum of average daily effective temperatures for the entire growing season is more than 1500-1800 degrees, the insect gives two full generations per year and survives the winter.

The first generation emerges from cocoons in which the insect spends the winter. Caterpillars appear when trees begin to budding and flowering. After 1.5-2 weeks, the caterpillars pupate, and after another 2 weeks, the first generation butterflies appear. These individuals live for about 2 months, looking for the most suitable place for offspring. In early June they begin to lay eggs. The fertility of one butterfly is about 110-130 eggs. The embryonic stage of development lasts about 5-8 days. Read how to store apple tree cuttings for grafting here.

During the first days, insects feed on the pulp right under the skin, where the first molt occurs. After this process, the caterpillar climbs into the seed chambers, where it molts again. The final molt occurs after the seeds have been consumed. At the final stage of development, the caterpillar gnaws its way to the surface and moves to another fruit. The insect damages approximately 2-4 apples from the front.

The hatched caterpillars are visible only for the first day. Afterwards, they bite into the fruits, sealing the entrance holes with cobwebs or waste products.

You can determine whether apples are infected with the codling moth by the condition of the skin. It becomes flabby, the flesh underneath is pressed through. Damaged fruits fall off prematurely.

In mid-June, the caterpillars pupate and 2 weeks later the butterflies of the summer generation appear. By the end of summer, insects find a place to overwinter: in the crevices of tree bark, under roots and early litter. Insects overwinter in a dense web cocoon, securely attached in a place protected from frost. Find out about the characteristics and description of the Cinnamon Striped apple tree here.

Apple codling moth and its development cycle

Outwardly, it is an inconspicuous moth (see photo of the apple moth below). The front pair of wings is brown, the hind wings are much lighter with fringed edges, the span is about 20 mm. The caterpillar, depending on age, takes on shades from yellowish to pinkish, has a dark head, and a body length of about 15 mm.

The larvae, entwined with a cocoon, overwinter in the bark of an apple tree, and in a young orchard - in the soil of the tree trunk. If the winter was not too cold, then most individuals successfully survive until spring and, when the average daily temperature stabilizes at 8-9°C, begin to pupate. After 2-3 weeks (apple trees bloom during this period), butterflies fly out. Males appear first, then females. 2-3 days after mating, active laying of eggs begins on the smooth surface of leaves and on young shoots. The butterfly lives for 1.5-2 months - almost the entire period of active growing season of the apple tree.

Depending on temperature conditions, the larvae mature and emerge from the eggs in 5-10 days. They spend the first day searching for a suitable fruit and a convenient site for insertion into it - a wound on the apple, the area near the petiole. After the “place of residence” is found, the caterpillar attaches itself to the surface with the help of a web, gnaws out a small groove, lies down in it and feeds passively for about 2-3 days. Moreover, the entrance to the hole is immediately sealed with excrement and pieces of a bitten apple. By this “plug” you can easily identify a damaged fruit.

Next, the caterpillar molts for the first time, eats through the hole down to the seeds, and there, after 5-6 days, changes its shell for the second time. Continuing to feed on seeds and pulp, the larva molts twice more with an interval of 10 days. Having spoiled one apple, it crawls into another, and when it falls, it rises again to the apple tree. The total period until the end of growth and pupation phase is about 30-45 depending on the area.

The codling moth caterpillar stays in a cocoon for about a month, then a new butterfly flies out, the larvae of which will damage later varieties of apples. The emergence of the second generation is typical only for the southern regions. In the vast majority of regions, the adult caterpillar is looking for a place to hide for the winter: loose bark, soil under the apple tree, supports, pieces of rotten turf, as well as rooms where damaged apples are taken. There she builds herself a cocoon from cobwebs and auxiliary material (soil particles, wood and grass fibers) and enters diapause.

The optimal conditions for the preservation and maturation of the larvae are illustrated by a graph of the dependence of the mortality of codling moth pupae on temperature and air humidity.

This is what the mortality graph of codling moth pupae looks like:

A serious danger of a sharp increase in the number of codling moths exists in those areas where the summer temperature is 18-25°C and air humidity is from 70 to 90%.

If there is little snow in winter, and the temperature often drops to -25°C, then up to 80% of the larvae freeze.

Fighting methods

There are several ways to combat aphids and codling moths. All of them are classified as agrotechnical, biological (a subspecies of which are viral) and chemical. The most effective are preventive measures to prevent the appearance of pests. Prevention is carried out annually, and control work is carried out as necessary. If you neglect these procedures, you can lead to the death of all garden plantings.

Agrotechnical

This method comes down to systematically carrying out the following types of work:

autumn plowing of the top layers of soil. Thus, cocoons with live moths reach the surface, where they die from the first serious frosts;
stripping the trunks of apple trees from dense tree bark after harvesting;
mandatory removal of leaves, fallen fruits and other biological waste with their subsequent burning;
immediate destruction of all materials used for cleaning, as well as means of covering trees for the winter;
processing of containers and places for storing fruits.

It is also recommended to follow agricultural techniques when planting trees: summer varieties should be located no closer than 100 meters from late autumn species.

Chemical

This group of methods involves treating the Bogatyr and Streifling varieties, as well as other apple trees, with specialized preparations that prevent or stop the growth, development and spread of insect pests. This method is widely used for large-scale gardening and is the most effective of all. This treatment option is suitable only in cases where codling moth infestation becomes widespread. First, try to determine whether there is a need for chemicals, you can use a pheromone trap for codling moths. You can purchase such a device at most agricultural stores. Traps should be installed during the flowering period and later. If more than 5 butterflies enter the device per day, then careful chemical treatment is necessary. Chemicals are divided into subgroups depending on the main active ingredient. This material will tell you about transplanting an apple tree to a new place in the spring.

Pheromone trap for apple moths.

To increase efficiency, the procedure is carried out in several stages:

the first spraying is carried out during the flowering period, when the first butterflies appear;
the second - two weeks after the first;
third - after another 2 weeks;
the fourth and last is after the harvest.

Insecticides

The most popular insecticides among gardeners are:

Binomial;
Ditox;
Atom;
Iskra-M;
Fufanon;
Zolon.

These drugs are aimed at killing newly hatched caterpillars. These means allow you to keep the crop intact, since the caterpillars do not have time to get into the meow of the fruit.

Pyrethroid

Pyrethroid drugs acceptable for use in our country include:

Alatar;
Sumi-Alpha;
Calypso;
Ivanhoe;
Fatrin;
Senpai;
Kinmiks.

These preparations are sprayed in the garden 8-12 days after the butterflies appear. Treat one plant first to test its response to the drug. If the test shows that the substance does not harm the tree, carry out large-scale treatment. Find out about planting and caring for the Marble variety pear in this article.

Cyhalothorins

This group of substances includes:

Sensei;
Gladiator;
Karate-Zenon;
Borey.

It is recommended to use them together with growth regulators, such as Dimilin or Insigar.

Biological

Biological products are much safer than milking the environment, plants and the human body. However, their cost is much higher. Each individual drug has its own terms of use:

“Fitoferm”, which exhibits insecticidal properties, is sprayed during the flowering of apple trees;
"Lipidocide" is used throughout the growing season with an interval between spraying of 12-15 days;
“Bitoxibacillin” is sprayed during the warm season with an interval of 1.5-2 weeks.

Biological preparations do not affect the quality of fruits and do not pose a danger to humans. Nevertheless, their effectiveness is quite high. Read about the characteristics of the Cathedral pear variety at this link.

Viral

Viral drugs are used much less frequently. Firstly, this is a relatively new type of insect pest control product. Secondly, viruses used in compounds can maintain their vital activity for a long time and harm both other cultures and humans. The use of low-quality viral drugs is especially dangerous; they can cause many diseases. The mechanism of their action is simple - the virus enters the pests (the codling moth, by the way, has a very weak immune system) and the insects die from its interaction with their DNA.

Today, viral drugs such as:

Medex Twin;
Fermovirin;
Fermovirin YAP.

Biological

When using biological drugs, there are some nuances to remember. First, they only work at temperatures above +18 °C. Secondly, their validity period is very dependent on external factors - in particular, biological products are washed off from the leaves during watering and precipitation. Accordingly, the number of treatments will be calculated based on their weather conditions.

Spraying is carried out in the evening and if the weather forecast is positive for the next few days. As a safety precaution, you should wear gloves and safety glasses. Good results are shown by Fitoferm, Lepidocid, Bitoxibacillin.

Preventive measures

It is easier to prevent a problem from occurring than to deal with the consequences. Gardeners should pay due attention to preventive seasonal work to avoid the mass appearance of the codling moth. It is important to maintain the health of the entire garden plot, since all varieties are susceptible to the codling moth, including Champion and President. To do this you need:

annually remove all organic waste and incinerate it;
if damaged shoots are found, remove them;
at the slightest suspicion of a pest, treat all plants on the site;
Be sure to plow the soil at the base of each tree.

Traditional methods of pest control will also be useful. A decoction of wormwood, pajamas or burdock, as well as pine-tobacco infusions, will help repel pests from plantings. A decoction of red hot pepper is also effective. Take 0.5 kg of coaxial string, add 2 liters of water and boil for 1.5-2 hours. Then the liquid should cool completely. The broth is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5, to which 50-60 grams of soap are also added. You need to spray the entire crown and trunk of the tree with this drug.

Codling moths that hatch on the ground or at the roots of an apple tree move along the trunk. For this reason, it makes sense to attach sticky insect trap tapes at different heights.

Agrotechnical and preventive measures

Preventive measures are highly effective, as well as safe. Autumn digging of the tree trunk circle has a positive effect on reducing the number of this pest.

As a result of this work, the lower layer of soil with cocoons of caterpillars is turned out onto the soil surface. They die from autumn frosts. Equally important is the collection of plant residues and burning them. Apple moth larvae can overwinter in them.

It is recommended to treat tree bark with pesticides twice a year. This work is planned for spring and autumn. It is important to inspect trees and remove areas that may serve as winter refuge for caterpillars. Fallen apples do not need to be left in the tree trunk circle. It must be collected daily.

All methods are suitable for controlling the codling moth. You can grow plants next to apple trees that will attract beneficial insects, which are natural enemies of moth caterpillars. It’s even better to place houses and feeders in the garden for birds that feed on caterpillars.

In practice, it has been established that codling moths do not tolerate the smell of such crops:

tomatoes;
mustard;
dill.

It is enough to plant one of these garden crops among the apple trees, and the codling moth will fly past your summer cottage.

In the summer, you can catch the codling moth with fishing belts. They are made independently using paper or burlap. Strips 30 cm long are cut from these materials and wrapped around the trunks of fruit trees at a height of 40 cm from the surface of the ground. The top of the trap is fixed with twine, and they are left free.

Caterpillars climbing up the trunk inevitably fall into a trap. The owner of the garden can only check the trap daily and destroy the larvae that get there. Such traps are even more effective if they are lubricated with special glue.

You can also use the old grandfather’s method of catching butterflies at night. At night they are very active and this biological feature should be used. You need to light a lamp with bright light and hang adhesive tapes around it. Then these ribbons, together with the moth butterflies caught in them, are burned.

During the apple harvest period, the fight against caterpillars must continue. Boxes intended for collecting apples should be lined with corrugated paper. Caterpillars that emerge from infected fruits will not be able to crawl out of the box.

When there are no apples left in the boxes, the paper with the moth larvae is carefully removed, along with the caterpillars, and burned. And the apple containers are thoroughly cleaned and doused with boiling water.

Traditional methods of combating apple moth

As long as cultivated gardens have existed, the apple moth has existed for as long. Over such a long period of time, garden owners tried a large number of folk recipes until they achieved the expected effect.

Currently, decoctions and infusions of certain herbs and substances are widely used against the codling moth butterfly. Here is their list:

burdock;
sagebrush;
tansy;
pine needles;
tobacco.

Adult butterflies cannot tolerate the smell of these plants and will prefer to retreat from the garden where such treatment was carried out.

The first spraying of fruit trees against codling moths is carried out with infusions or decoctions when the apple trees enter the flowering phase. The second and third treatments are performed with an interval of 15 days. The evening hours are chosen for spraying; it is better to do this work in the absence of wind.

The following is a recipe for a tobacco solution for spraying trees against codling moths:

take 500 g of dried tobacco;
fill it with 10 liters of water;
leave for 47 hours;
Boil the solution for 2 hours;
wait until the solution cools down;
strain;
dilute 10 liters of fresh water;
add 50 g of soap for better adhesion of the composition to the leaves;
Spray the crowns of apple trees during the mass emergence of codling moth larvae.

Chemical preparations for codling moth

Typically, gardeners resort to the chemical option of controlling the codling moth when other methods have already been tried and have not brought the expected result, as well as during a massive attack of the pest on garden crops.

To effectively exterminate codling moth caterpillars, at least 4 sprayings of trees will be necessary during the summer season. Processing is carried out within the following time frames:

at the moment of departure of butterflies;
15 days after the first treatment;
15 days later, after the second treatment;
after the harvest is completed.

Retail chains currently have many effective chemical preparations against codling moth. Gardeners most often use the following means:

Iskra-M;
Boreas;
Decis;
Gladiator;
Zolon;
Sensei;
Ditox;
Fufanon;
Kung Fu;
Sirocco.

These drugs should be diluted in water, strictly following the instructions on the package. Treatments with them should be carried out during a period of time limited by the moment the codling moth larvae emerge from the egg and before they penetrate into the fruit.

conclusions

The codling moth is an insect with a full development cycle, producing 2 generations of pests in one season.
This insect overwinters in the bark of trees or in the soil, and with the onset of summer it begins active life, during which it causes significant damage to the crop.
Codling moth caterpillars make passages in the pulp of apples, eat up the seeds, after which the fruits fall off before maturity.
To protect plantings from these insects, it is necessary to carry out regular preventive work before the growing season, and, if necessary, take pest control measures.

When to start and how to handle it correctly

To ensure that all efforts are not in vain, you need to correctly calculate the processing period. During the entire growing season, the apple tree needs several treatments with different options. This will protect the tree not only from the codling moth, but also from other pests.

Spraying begins in due time. To work, you will need a working solution, a spraying device, as well as personal protective equipment (gloves, mask, clothing).

When spraying, you should try not to leave a single branch unattended. The first spraying begins in the middle of flowering, when the buds have already set. The next spraying is carried out 12 days after the flower petals fall.

in spring

In order for apple trees to grow longer and bear fruit well, they need to be provided with proper care. Spring treatment of fruit trees is a mandatory procedure:

Around each apple tree, old leaves and debris are removed and the ground is dug up.
Clean the trunk of old bark, under which pests can overwinter.
Be sure to cut off old, diseased, dry branches.
In order to rejuvenate the tree, it is recommended to trim each branch to the length of the growth.
After pruning the trees, preventive treatment of trees against pests and diseases begins. Initially, the crown is treated when the buds have not yet blossomed. Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate are used as a basis for solutions.

The best time to treat trees against codling moths is 2.5 weeks after flowering.

In summer

Chemicals are used only at the beginning of summer so that pesticides do not have time to accumulate in the fruits. You can treat trees with folk remedies at any time:

In mid-June, the first summer treatment against codling moths is carried out. You can spray with insecticides such as Actellik and Dimethoate.
The second treatment is carried out in July, three weeks after the previous procedure. It is necessary to choose drugs that will help protect the tree from the second generation of codling moth.

From the end of July, tree processing is stopped. At this time, you should follow the basic rules of prevention.