Apple tree pests
Like all agricultural crops, the apple tree is susceptible to attacks of all sorts of pests. Most often these are worms and caterpillars. You can even find them in apple blossom. To prevent this from happening, a number of preventive measures are being taken, if the pests have already been detected, then certain drugs are used to treat the fruit tree and save the harvest.
One of the most dangerous pests for the apple harvest is the green bug. In winter, these pests live in fallen leaves; in late spring, bugs begin to lay eggs and breed. Bedbug larvae appear in early summer and after 1.5-2 months they become adults, capable of leaving unaware gardeners without a crop.
Caterpillars also become frequent unpleasant guests in apple blossom. They bring great harm to the tree, since they are absolutely not picky about food. They eat everything from leaves to tree bark. The buds, as well as the apple blossom, are not neglected. The most important sign of these pests on fruit trees is the cobweb, which can entangle the entire tree from bottom to top. Moreover, the web can be an indicator of the presence of both one type of caterpillar, and several varieties.
Apple tree flowers
The fruit sheath is a very small butterfly, reaching a maximum of 1.5 cm in size. This butterfly lays eggs on the leaves of fruit trees. Caterpillars appear in two weeks. They gnaw through the leaf and go further into the tree bark for wintering.
The moth is a small, gray-green insect that eats buds, color, leaves. It is capable of destroying almost the entire apple crop. The fruits of this pest become rotten. It also increases the likelihood of infection with worms.
Corydalis humpback damages the leaf, leaving only the central part intact.
The most dangerous types of worms are those that hibernate in tree bark. They are very difficult to identify as they may not be shown for several years. The worms living in the tree bark eat up the trunk from the inside, therefore sap flow does not pass to all branches, and they begin to slowly dry and die off. Also, these voids are a wonderful haven for the formation of infections and fungal diseases and worms.
There is a species of insect that feeds exclusively on apple flowers. Thus, a worm appears in the apple blossom. Flower worms are much easier to identify than the previous pest group. But they do the same harm to the tree. By eating apple blossom, caterpillars can leave the tree completely fruitless. And those flowers that have not been eaten to the end, the apple tree will drop by itself, without forming an ovary. The same category of insects will also eat fruits that could appear from flowers that this pest did not have time to feast on. This will cause a worm to appear in the apple. Wormy apples can tell you how to deal with this problem in specialized stores. Worms in apples are a very common problem.
In the flowers of the apple tree worms what to do? This question is asked by many gardeners. Whatever worms attack the fruit trees, they must be driven out of the garden or destroyed. The most important thing is to correctly recognize the type of pest in order to choose the right means to eliminate it.
Wormy apples
Folk remedies and chemicals against caterpillars
How to get rid of worms on an apple tree? There are many ways to combat worms and caterpillars. There are alternative methods and drugs that will help get rid of these pests. The very first and easiest way to control insects is water. If you direct a strong pressure on branches and foliage, the caterpillars will simply be washed away with a stream of water. This method is good for those pests that are visible on the surface of flowers and leaves, as those that are not washed away by water must be collected by hand.
With worms that feed on foliage, they fight with a decoction of tomato leaves. Another infusion is made with wormwood. An effective result of spraying trees with these infusions and decoctions will be if you repeat the procedure 3-4 times. Typically, the interval between sprays is a week.
If worms have already appeared in the flowers of the apple tree, what to do in this case? Chemicals will come to the rescue, which have a faster and stronger effect. So how to process apple trees so that there are no worm apples?
Chemicals to combat worms on apple trees are not uncommon these days. They can be purchased commercially at any specialty store. The most common drug is the Intavir insecticide. One tablet is enough for one tree. It must be dissolved in a bucket of water and sprinkled on the apple tree completely. It effectively fights various categories of insects, but has some disadvantages.
Apple tree processing
Another insecticide is Tonrek. It only needs 3 ml per bucket of water. To treat one tree, you need 3 liters of water with Tonrek dissolved in it. It is also toxic and can be addictive.
Fufanon causes massive pest poisoning. He dies within 20 hours after spraying. The duration of this drug is 10 days. In one season, the use of this drug is possible only twice. Also toxic.
Karbofos causes instant death of worms. Its validity period is 10 days. Only works in direct contact. That is, those caterpillars that did not get the solution during spraying continue to live and harm the future harvest. But it is not toxic to bees. Has a strong unpleasant odor.
Preventive measures
How to deal with worms on an apple tree, it was said above, but how to prevent them from entering it initially? The very first and most important preventive measure against caterpillars is the annual removal of foliage from the site, since most of the caterpillars winter in it. It is necessary to keep the site clean, to get rid of weeds in time, as they are food for these pests. It is also recommended to spray trees with infusions or chemicals several times a year.
