Honeycrisp Apple Tree - Insect issues - Ask Extension
I would like some help in identifying the insects that are attacking my Honeycrisp apple tree and also confirm I am following the recommended guidelin...
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Honeycrisp Apple Tree - Insect issues #872813
Asked June 12, 2024, 2:06 PM EDT
I would like some help in identifying the insects that are attacking my Honeycrisp apple tree and also confirm I am following the recommended guidelines to treat and prevent this in the future. I treated my tree with Tangle foot on the main trunk and have been applying Monterey Fruit Tree Spray Plus, 4 treatments so far this year approximately 7 to 10 days apart. I have been told by others that they believe the issue is Codling Moth. I also know I had 3 or 4 clusters of Rosy Apple Aphids that I removed by hand and then sprayed the tree with an insecticidal soap mixture (dish detergent and Neem oil diluted in water)
The Aphids seem to be completely gone now, but as you can see from the pictures - many of my apples have little black holes with some type of larvae in them. If it is Codling moth - it is my understanding they have 2 hatch cycles per year. How do I best treat not only the tree, but the soil to remediate them? Am I safe to assume that any current fruit on the tree that has these larvae holes should be removed from the tree immediately and discarded in the trash as well as any apples that drop to the ground?
I have manually bagged any remaining apples that did not seem to have the larvae holes and hope to salvage them.
Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide. We lost the entire apple crop last year on this tree do to these same insects. I was hoping to prevent it this year, but seemed to have missed my first spraying due to the rain and I was afraid to apply it too soon due to the negative impacts to pollinators.
Scott CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
Good Morning Eric,
Thank you for contacting the U of M Extension Service.
You can work through these issues on your tree and fruit to figure out what the issue is. I would suggest you inspect the damaged fruit. Cut the fruit apart to see if the insect is going to the core.