Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ing. These strategies are integrated with applications of insecticides and
Surround to provide organic control.
To monitor flights, attach codling moth traps impregnated with pher-
omone baits to branches in the top third of your orchard canopy. If more
than five moths are captured during the first generation, or two moths are
captured per trap in the second generation, you should apply an insecticide.
By the time the first flower buds show white or pink color (first pink), you
should have 200 to 400 mating disruption dispensers per acre in your trees.
These dispensers (often resembling twist ties) are impregnated with a pher-
omone that mimics the one produced by female moths ready to mate. The
large numbers of mating disruptor strips attract the male moths and make it
difficult for the males to locate females. Bear in mind that these dispensers
will attract moths to your orchard and can increase damage to your crop if
you have a badly infested orchard nearby.
Beginning at first bloom, apply an approved organic product containing
codling moth granulosis virus. This is a naturally occurring organism that is
very specific for codling moth. Repeat sprays of the granulosis virus every
7 to 10 days as long as adult moths are present. The spray will kill the lar-
vae, but not until some damage has occurred. Beginning at petal fall, begin
applying Surround, neem products, and spinosad products according to label
directions as long as the pheromone traps are capturing adult codling moths.
You can also use parasites to manage codling moth populations (see the
Oriental fruit moth section below). Maintain insectary crops in your orchard.
Purchase and release the parasites, if needed.
During the 1960s, fruit researchers in California tested ultraviolet (black
light) traps to monitor codling moth flights. The light traps were hung in the
orchards just before the codling moth flights were expected to begin and
turned on at dusk. In addition to codling moths, the traps caught other orch-
ard moth pests and other insects, averaging 80 other insects for each codling
moth trapped. These traps can be used to supplement the management pro-
gram described above. They will not be as accurate a monitoring device as
pheromone traps, and it is unlikely that they will provide adequate control of
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