What's going on with these apples - Ask Extension
I have a dwarf Honeycrisp Apple tree that is about five years old. This year, the number of apples produced was a fraction of last years' crop. I had ...
Knowledgebase
What's going on with these apples #922627
Asked December 03, 2025, 3:15 PM EST
I have a dwarf Honeycrisp Apple tree that is about five years old. This year, the number of apples produced was a fraction of last years' crop. I had at least 50% of the apples that were severely deformed per the attached photos. I have a two year old same variety that produced perfect apples - the trees are about 20 feet apart. I started noticing these deformities as soon as the apples starting growing in size. What is this deformity and how do I prevent it from happening next year?
Thanks!
Le Sueur County Minnesota
Expert Response
Cat Face or Apple curculio could be your problem. Both are caused by insects flying in and infecting your fruit.
https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/201https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/fruit/apple/fruitdeform.html8/5/catfacingInjury/
https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/201https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/fruit/apple/fruitdeform.html8/5/catfacingInjury/
https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/research/cat-facing-insectsPrevention and treatments both herbicidal and other are listed at the end of each article.
