Hello. Trapping is a great way to know if you have apple maggot. We have found the round spheres to work best. https://gemplers.com/products/apple-maggot-fly-traps?currency=USD&variant=<personal data hidden>473&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=cef260d508aa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={cname}&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjvn67YShhQMVonF_AB2Qjw2zEAQYASABEgJJSfD_BwE

Spinosyns are okay against AM--other insecticides works better. Here is a good article from Dr. John Wise

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/managing-apple-maggots-with-insecticides

This reply from you has absolutely no value.  You refer me to Gemplers or an article on

more toxic pesticides?  I know the toxicity of spinosads which are certainly less than 

neonics.  Considering that the toxic pesticides you recommend are so dangerous to pollinators

etc. , why have you even included this in your response.  I use organic methods.  You have made 

no effort to answer my questions, just some stock reply that's easy.  I could have just as easily 

sent this question to Bayer for a response.  If this is all you can come up with refer me to someone

willing to make some effort and with more knowledge, not someone who can send out boiler plate

recommendations that have purpose and are worse for my methods but also for the environment.  What I have 

received from you is pretty disgusting and gives me a very bad impression of this service.

Terry 

I am sorry that you feel this way about this service. We try to provide information that is accessible and effective.

Spinosad derivatives have been incorporated into restricted use pesticides and available to growers for applications against pest insects. Many of these pesticides have been rated for efficacy against pests by universities across the U.S., and most of those are not labeled for organic production.

We also have done no research on measuring the efficacy of soil applied spinosyns. In this case, the bacteria would have to infect the pest when it is in the soil. The apple maggot larvae feeds in the fruit from July through October, and once they are mature, they drop to the ground and overwinter as pupae. The pupal stage is less likely to be infected by bacteria than larvae and the cool temperatures in October will greatly slow the insect activity. The best stage of the AM life cycle to target with any materials is the adult. They are flying and mating, and once the female lays an egg in the apple, the larvae are not susceptible to any materials as they are protected by the fruit. 

I have no data to answer the question of AM attacking big or small fruits, but in commercial blocks where AM is a problem, they will infest small fruits in July as well as more mature fruits (larger apples) later in the season.

There are materials that contain spinosyn that would be considered organic and used for more backyard production rather than commercial growers. At the risk of suggesting links, this product is OMRI-approved:

https://growhoss.com/products/spinosad-garden-insect-spray?variant=<personal data hidden>022

However, we have no data on this material, so you would have to try and see if it would work for AM in your site. And again, I would suggest trapping for AM to make sure you have the pest, and multiple years of research has shown the red spheres with Tanglefoot are the best way to determine if and when applications need to be made for AM. At our research station, we do not spray for AM because we never catch them using the red sphere method. The spheres and attractants were developed by Dr. Ron Prokopy and now are commercially available for use.