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This easy fun cache is for kids and beginners. If you have some experience try it at night for more of a challenge.
The codling moth, or apple worm, a pest introduced from Europe, occurs in Canada wherever apples are grown. The codling moth larvae attack apples, pears, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries and several other fruits. The larvae tunnel into the side or the blossom end of the fruit, leaving a mass of frass protruding from the entry site.
The adult codling moth has a wing expanse of about 20 mm. Fore wings are gray with fine transverse striations and a brown distal patch with two metallic bronze bars. Hind wings are brown. Moths first appear in late May to early June, about the time apple trees are in bloom. After mating, the female lays 15 to 50 eggs depending on the temperature. Eggs are laid singly, usually on the leaves but also on twigs and fruit. Eggs are white, flattened, pancake-shaped and about 1 mm in diameter. They hatch in 5 to 1 5 days. Newly hatched larvae chew their way into young apples, often entering by way of the blossom end. The larvae then work their way into the core, often feeding on seeds.
Full-grown larvae develop in 3 to 5 weeks. They are 1 3 to 20 mm long, pinkish white with brown heads and have thoracic shields with dark speckling, Mature larvae burrow to the outside of the apple and reach the ground by crawling down trees, dropping on silken threads, or emerging from fallen fruit. The larvae then spin thick silken cocoons under rough, loose bark of the tree trunk or in debris on the ground. The codling moth overwinters as a full-grown larvae within the cocoon. In the spring, it transforms into a brown pupa about 8 to 11 mm long, from which the adult moth emerges. In warmer areas where two generations a year occur, the adult moths appear in 2 to 4 weeks following the formation of the cocoon.
If trees are not protected from this insect, studies have shown that more than 95% of the fruit may be damaged. In addition to apple and pear, the codling moth may attack quince, hawthorn, crabapple, cherry, and English walnut. Because of the high infestation rate mentioned above, and the fact that there are no effective biological control agents, pesticides are presently the only method of
obtaining clean fruit. The insect overwinters as a full grown larvae in silken cocoons under loose bark or in other protected areas at the base of the tree. When spring temperatures are 50 F or higher, development resumes and the insect becomes a pupa and later a small, grey moth. The adult codling moth can be distinguished from other moth fruit pests by a large bronze to copper colored patch at the forewing tip.
After a short 3-4 day period, female moths begin to deposit eggs. The eggs are white, disc shaped and about .04 inches in diameter. They are commonly laid on the fruit or on leaves in close proximity to fruit. Once the eggs hatch, larvae will crawl around on the fruit for a short period and then enter the fruit. The entrance into the fruit is commonly through the sides of the apple or where apples are touching. Entrance holes are generally filled with frass and quite conspicuous. Apples attacked early in the spring often drop, and larval development can be completed in the fallen apple. Larvae are often found feeding near the core. Once the larval development is complete, the larva will bore out of the fruit, crawl down the trunk or drop to the ground and pupate.
To obtain the best control and to utilize as little pesticide as possible, timing of insecticidal sprays is critical. Recommendations in the past have been based on a fixed calendar date, bait pans, or upon a certain number of days after petal fall. These methods are not totally reliable because of differences in temperature from year to year and differences in bloom period between various varieties of apples. Proper timing should instead be abased upon either pheromone trap catches (homeowner) or a combination of pheromone trap catches and a degree-day model (commercial growers) which predicts insect development based on temperature accumulations. Generalized sprays dates for your area can be obtained from your extension office. Pheromone traps dispense the female sex lure to attract male moths. They function by releasing a greater amount of the pheromone than a single female moth, and thus may be considered to be a "super" female. These traps are very sensitive and can attract a male moth from one mile or more. It should be noted that attracting the male moths will not lead to greater damage in your orchard because males cause no damage.
In non-commercial situations, traps should be placed in the orchard about the first week of May (timing will be discussed below for commercial orchards). The timing of the sprays have a respective 21, 21, and 14 day recommended interval. In the unlikely event that a fourth cover spray is required, it should be applied at either the 14 or 21 day interval recommended above. During most years, the fruit does not need protection after the end of August or first week of September.
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