Caterpillars on an apple tree: how to fight and how to process during flowering and fruiting

A summer resident planting an apple orchard is counting on a good quality harvest. And apple trees live up to expectations, every year delighting their owners with delicious apples. Harmful insects and their larvae love to feast on the foliage and fruits of these fruit trees. A gardener who finds caterpillars on an apple tree must know how to deal with them.

Types of caterpillars

They are voracious and adapt well. Let's consider their types in more detail.

Black

Several species of such caterpillars attack apple trees at once: the gypsy moth is the most easily recognizable. Big, furry, almost 7 centimeters.

Greys

A typical representative is a ringed silkworm with blue stripes. Sleeps inside the web during the day, active at night.

Greens

Winter moth, reaching 3 centimeters in length. She has only 5 pairs of legs, therefore, moving, she arches. The leaf roller is a small 2 cm caterpillar. You can recognize her by the web.

White

On the apple tree you can find parasitic species of white and pale pink, as it were, translucent caterpillars. These are not only the usual glass moth and codling moth, but also those that will spread to the apple tree not so long ago, such as woodweed, oriental tree codling moth, fruit-striped moth.

Codling moth caterpillar

Widespread and very dangerous. She can spend the whole winter under the bark. After the flowering of the apple tree, she lays her eggs on the ovary and leaves. And then it is very important to know how to process them, otherwise you can forget about the harvest.

Apple Glass Caterpillar

White-yellow in color, no more than 2.5 centimeters long, harms only apple trees.

Yellow

Hawthorn is not the smallest caterpillar. You will recognize them by the black longitudinal stripes. Up to 4.5 centimeters long. They leave noticeable traces - veins remain half-eaten on the gnawed leaves. Apple moth - its small caterpillars 1.3-1.6 centimeters are painted dirty yellow. Along the body are black dots, in parallel pairs. Only affects apple trees.

Signs of tree infection

Traces of the presence of harmful insects can be found on the leaves, trunks, buds, fruits of the apple tree:

• web;
• small and large caterpillars;
• entry points surrounded by caterpillar excrement and waste products.

Fighting codling moth

Pretty effective in the fight against this parasite:

• timely scrupulous collection of fallen fruits - they are destroyed;
• systematic cleaning of the bark, putting trapping belts on the tree trunk is the best way;
• Using insecticidal active sprays when the apple trees have blossomed: 0.2% Chlorophos solution or 0.3% Karbofos.

Get rid of the winter moth

Maximum effect is achieved by using glue belts. Good results can be obtained if trees are treated with yarrow decoction or tobacco tincture. It is also advisable to dig the soil around the tree trunk. If the winter temperature drops below -35 ℃, the grower will not need to do anything - the eggs will die on their own.

Methods for getting rid of the leaflet

Methods for destroying leafworms that bring maximum results:

1. Handpick and burn affected leaves along with nests.
2. Use chemicals if the lesion is too strong (Nitrafen 3% solution before the apple tree blooms; repeat the treatment after 10-14 days).

Fighting apple moth

The beginning of May is the time when caterpillars are most sensitive to chemicals. True, they get used to chemistry very quickly. To prevent this from happening, the drugs should be alternated, strictly observing the dosage. Butterflies are destroyed by a single spraying. But for caterpillars and larvae, it will take 5-6 times.

Universal methods of dealing with caterpillars

The combination of local preventive and extermination measures is guaranteed to be able to destroy parasites and keep the long-awaited crop intact.

You can collect caterpillars by hand or involve their natural enemies: birds, spiders, ticks.

Chemicals

Chemicals in the fight against voracious larvae are most effective. And the choice of them on sale is quite large.

Intavir

Negatively affects the entire nervous system of parasitic leafworms, codling moth. Tablets or powder dissolve in water: 10 liters per tree, only 2-3 treatments.

Tanrec

After spraying, it poisons the caterpillars for 3 weeks, but during the period of bright flowering and active fruiting of the apple tree, it cannot be used. A full bucket of water will require 3 milliliters of the substance.

Fufanon

Quickly poisons insects. Valid for 10 days. It is used only during the growing season, no later than 3 weeks before harvest. Two treatments are enough.

Karbofos

In case of direct contact of the product with an insect, the pest dies almost instantly. Valid for 10 days.

Biologicals

As an example - Fitoverm. Helps to get rid of caterpillars after flowering. Serves as a good substitute for chemicals during fruit ripening. One ampoule is diluted in 2.5 liters of water.

Folk recipes

The caterpillars, just like now, ate the leaves a hundred years ago. Passed down from generation to generation, recipes have come down to us to deal with them. The ingredients in the composition are only natural. And the use of improvised substances eliminates unnecessary costs.

Take water, for example. A strong jet can wash away the silkworm and codling moth. It remains only to collect them and burn them. Herbal decoctions and infusions can be a great help in the fight against apple pests.

Celandine

Infusion - a glass of celandine is soaked in a bucket of water for a couple of days, filtered, and then soap is added to it (2 tablespoons). Decoction - boil 200 grams of dry leaves of celandine in 1 liter of well water for 15 minutes, preferably in a water bath. Then the solution is filtered and mixed with a bucket of water.

Belt of celandine - in the spring, fresh green leaves of the plant are tied around the apple tree trunk. In autumn, the bandage is changed.

Tomato tops

Decoction: 1 kilogram of tops is infused for 4-5 hours in a bucket of clean water. Then more water is added to it in a ratio of 1:2.8.

Birch tar with soap

10 grams of tar and laundry soap (1/2 piece) are dissolved in a bucket of water.

Soda

It can be used in two ways:

1. 3 tablespoons (with a slide) per bucket of water - for a full spray.
2. Mixed with regular flour or ash for dusting.

Sagebrush

For the infusion, a flowering wormwood is taken. The floor of a bucket of plants is filled with 10 liters of water. After a day, boil for half an hour, and then dilute with an equal part of water.

Prevention measures

Thanks to mandatory preventive and therapeutic measures, it is possible to limit the development of parasites. Carry out actions in young and fruit-bearing plantations. If the apple trees in the garden are not resistant to pathogens, prevention is indispensable.

Timing for preventive treatments

Prevention measures are organized in the spring. The gardener needs to carefully spray and inspect the bark, get rid of nests covered with cobwebs and damaged leaves.It will be necessary to bleach the trunks and treat the tree and the soil around it with a biological product. And it is recommended to involve natural helpers. Bird feeders are great for this. This way you can provide protection for apple trees and future harvests.

Before the start of sap flow

The buds of the apple trees have not yet woken up, but the time has come for spring work: inspecting the trees after winter days, destroying all traces of caterpillars.

From the beginning to the end of flowering

From the moment the buds hatch until the flowers appear, it's time to spray apple trees with blue vitriol and insecticides. Otherwise, the caterpillars will damage the flowers and ovaries. When flowering began, spraying is already stopped. Only manual collection and burning of caterpillars is available. You can spray the trees with Bordeaux liquid if you have not sprayed before.

After flowering

As soon as the flowering is over, the next processing of apple trees from the codling moth is performed. Both folk remedies and insecticides are used. From now until the ripening of apples should be at least a month.

When apples ripen

Chemicals are no longer used. Manual collection is used to destroy caterpillars.

After fruiting

It's time to prepare apple trees for winter: collect and burn fallen leaves, dig up the ground, and then treat with insecticides. Sanitary pruning of apple trees will be required, and, if necessary, wound treatment. Tree trunks are whitened for the winter.

Caterpillars, even the smallest, can cause great damage to trees. If you leave everything as it is, the apple tree will wither, the yield will eventually come to naught.If you know about ways to deal with apple pests, you can prevent their appearance. And then the apple orchard will delight its owners with fabulous harvests every year.

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