Software
Houzz Logo Print
dan_liptak

Apples under attack, identification?

8 years ago

Hi I am in NY and have a 7 apple trees. I am noticing these marks that look like bites. I think it might be from plum curculio but idk. Please lmk what this is and how to fix it.


Thanks

Comments (4)

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    That does appear to be PC damage but I've never had them attack my apples, maybe my plums and peaches keep them too busy to bother with the apples? As per usual to control these and other fruit tree insect pests a routine/scheduled spraying is recommended. The type/brand of spray used (org v chem) is your choice.

  • 8 years ago

    Imidan Wettable Powder. Do not spray until after petal fall to save as many bees as you can. May as well get Captan fungicide too. Mix in a 2 gallon pump sprayer. 3 tablespoons of each powder. Shake well and spray your trees and again every 7 to 10 days or when a good rain washes them...spray again. Pristine fruit headed your way.

  • 8 years ago

    I too use Imidan on apples and it works great for controlling plum curculio. Curculio is a native snout weevil that will attack your apples from petal fall to about mid-June (at least in my area of SE WI).

    The crescent shapes scars are from the female curculio laying eggs in your apples. Good news is that the eggs normally are not successful in hatching in apples as the fruit expands so rapidly in size in June that it crushes the egg. Bad news is the crescent shaped scar will turn into a big lump on the apple by the time it is ripe. It will look horrible but is only cosmetic as the flesh of the apple will be fine. Peel or cut it off, the apples will still be usable at harvest.

    The Captan that Jim mentions (above) is presumably Captan 50 WP. Sold in 8 ounce cans (Bonide brand) or 4 pound bags. Rate is 1.5 TB/gallon. Captan is also sold as Captan 70 WG but that has a slightly different rate. I tried the Captan 70 but found it more work trying to dissolve the granules. I plugged my sprayer the first time I used it as much harder to dissolve than the Captan 50 WP which is in powder form. Captan is readily available online.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks for the info and confirmation!