Knowledgebase

Apple tree spraying #484830

Asked September 14, 2018, 12:32 PM EDT

I have a honey crisp Apple tree and this year I had a nice crop of apples, but they had lots of worm damage 90% I spray just after bloom drop then about every two weeks. I used Bonide home orchard spray. What am I doing wrong. Please help. James Coffelt

Oakland County Michigan

Expert Response

I can see signs of plum curculio or perhaps tarnished plant bug damage, perhaps some apple maggot stings.  If you have slightly pink colored worms with sawdust looking frass (excrement) in the interior of the apple it is probably codling moth or oriental fruit moth.

If you used the Bonide Home Orchard Spray, the insecticide in the product is a pyrethrin which must be applied directly to the insect to be effective. It is very short lived, which makes it relatively safe to use, but not very effective more than a couple days after application.  So, you will need to spray every 4-5 days, and / or switch to or include more effective insecticides.  Malathion will give you 5 to 7 days of coverage.  There are a few other backyard gardener chemicals that are available for fruit growing that have the active ingredient acetamiprid, spinosad, kaolin clay, and carbaryl that are more effective than the Bonide Home Orchard Spray.  You will need to check the label to make sure that they are labeled for apple trees.


An Ask Extension Expert Replied September 18, 2018, 3:02 PM EDT

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