Certain damage to the fruit tree is typical of certain animal pests. Once the animal visitor has been identified, concrete measures can be taken.
Pests like to eat fruit trees
The most common pests at a glance
Not every pest goes on every fruit tree, as many of these animals are committed to a specific host species. Nevertheless, there is a whole range that are not very choosy.
spider mites
Spider mites are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. They only grow up to 0.8 mm. The very agile green, yellow or red little creatures stay mainly on the underside of the leaves and form typical webs there. They do damage by depriving them of juice. The initially light speckles on leaves and shoots turn into brown spots until they eventually wither and fall off. Control: hosing down (chemicals only in the case of a very high infestation!), promoting natural opponents such as predatory mites and predatory bugs.
aphids
Aphids, of which there are several hundred different species, appear primarily on the undersides of young shoots. They damage the fruit tree by removing cell sap, but can also transmit harmful viruses and attract ants. Control: Spray down with a hard water jet, cut back, beneficial insects such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps, (22.99€) hoverflies and birds.
Mealybugs and mealybugs
There are several pests that coat the leaves and fruit with sticky excreta (called honeydew). If it is aphids, you can tell by the curled leaves. In the case of mealybugs, on the other hand, the sticky plaque is usually the only noticeable symptom. You can also recognize an infestation from these signs of damage: Small, light-colored sucking spots appear on the leaves and sometimes also on the fruit, whereby the leaves can also turn yellow and fall off in the event of a severe infestation. The affected parts of the plant are heavily covered with honeydew and are often colored blackish by sooty mold fungi. In addition, there are usually numerous ants on the tree. Control: cut back, spray with oil-based preparations if infestation is severe.
vine weevil
This is a black-brown beetle, about 10 millimeters long and unable to fly. The larvae, which are also up to 10 millimeters long, are cream-colored to brownish-white and have a reddish-brown head. Vine weevils are active at dusk and at night. When disturbed, they drop and are motionless for a moment. During the day they crawl into wall crevices, under layers of mulch and other sheltered places. The beetles eat holes in the leaf edges, the so-called bay feeding. However, the far greater damage to the fruit trees is caused by the larvae: they eat off the fine roots. Control: Chemical control should be carried out in the evening. The use of nematodes (e.g. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) has also proven to be very successful.
tips
Voles are also dangerous plant pests. They gnaw on young roots, but not infrequently also on the bark of young fruit trees and bushes. Affected trees are loose in the ground, branches or entire trees can die. They are combated using traps and poisoned baits.