Most apple tree pests are difficult to see with the naked eye due to their small size. However, they can be recognized and combated in good time by means of specific damage patterns during regular visual inspections.

Aphids on the young shoots of the apple tree

Aphids also suck the sap from the young shoots on the branch tips of apple trees in spring and early summer. They can be combated mechanically by being washed off with a sharp jet of water from the garden hose. However, with this method you should make sure that the delicate leaves and flowers are not damaged. The specialist trade now also offers biological control measures against aphids. In this way, they can be attacked in a targeted manner by releasing predators such as ladybirds on the tree. You can also promote the settlement of these and other beneficial insects in the garden by hanging a so-called insect hotel (€11.33) as a breeding ground on a branch of the apple tree.

The codling moth

The codling moth is actually a butterfly from the codling moth family. The danger for the apple harvest comes from its caterpillars, which eat their way through a spiral tunnel up to the core of the apple. Since the adult butterflies come flying in from the air to lay their eggs, a glue ring around the trunk of the apple tree is ineffective against this pest. However, control can take place by promoting beneficial insects and enemies of the codling moth. For example, hang an upside down clay pot on a branch of the apple tree and stuff some excelsior into it. This creates the ideal breeding ground for the earwig as the natural enemy of the codling moth. The following insects are also useful for combating:

  • bugs
  • the parasitic wasp Elodia tragica
  • the parasitic wasp Trichomma enecator

Perching and nesting areas for birds also help to combat this, since they like to eat the larvae of the codling moth.

The apple rust mite

As its name suggests, the apple rust mite causes rust-colored, circular spots on the leaves of the apple tree. These mites hibernate on the leaf buds and, starting in spring, attach themselves to the undersides of the freshly sprouted leaves. Chemical control with sulfur preparations should only be used in the case of a very massive infestation, as this can also affect beneficial insects. Otherwise, affected leaves should be removed from the lower third of long shoots in June and disposed of accordingly. The material produced during winter pruning should also be burned or composted far away from the apple trees in order to stop the mites.

The Lesser Frost Moth and its Control

The hibernating winter moth eggs are laid in cracks in the bark on the trunk of the apple tree. Since the caterpillars crawl to the leaf buds to eat after hatching, they can be caught with a glue ring around the tree trunk. Since the female specimens of the winter moth are unable to fly and often strive to climb back up the tree where they hatched, they can also be caught in the treetop with a glue ring before mating with the males.

tips and tricks

A light infestation with pests sometimes does not require the gardener to intervene, as it can be compensated for by the beneficial insects in the garden within the framework of the biological balance. However, if the infestation increases significantly, appropriate countermeasures should be taken quickly so that diseases do not fundamentally damage the tree and harvest.

Category:

Trees