You really have your hands full in the garden at the moment. Gardening is a lot of fun and your allotment looks ready for the start of the season. All bushes have been trimmed, the soil has been fertilized and you have already sown flowers and vegetables. With so many tasks to do and the weather getting nicer, you might sometimes miss something important. So that this does not happen, we would like to remind you today of the fruit trees. To be more precise, below we propose the most ecological solutions possible, how and when you can effectively fight the codling moth. The little creatures already begin to emerge with the first rays of the sun. Not acting in time could mean ruining the best months in the garden.
Can you fight the codling moth without chemicals and how do you build a trap against the annoying insects? The answers will follow and you can add another task to your to-do list.
Fight codling moth – it is important to treat the pests at the right time
Control codling moth in an environmentally friendly way
If you want to fight pests, fighting them must not harm others. Codling moths are a major threat, and although their name suggests apples, they can also be found in quinces, apricots, plums, cherries, walnuts or pears. In order to effectively protect fruit trees, it is necessary to know the habits of pests. The moths pupate in late autumn in order to lay their eggs in the fruit trees in spring. This is a good time to counteract with effective but environmentally friendly means. In spring, examine your fruit trees for pupated larvae. You can remove these manually or shake off the fruit trees regularly. That roughly reduces the population. A good method is to brush the tree bark gently, but often clean. If the trees are more and larger, put a light pad under the tree so that the larvae gather there.
Codling moth larvae hatch from the eggs in spring and find their way to the inside of the fruit pulp
The endangered fruit trees should be checked for larvae as early as April
If you miss the development times of the codling moth, you make a troublesome population possible
The codling moths have their offspring up to twice a year – in May and June and in August and September
Even more ideas on how to fight codling moth
The codling moth population decreases significantly if the larvae are removed in time. In most cases, however, this is not quite enough. It is therefore necessary to resort to further means. You might be amazed, but the corrugated cardboard is the closest thing you can use as a remedy against the harmful insects. The so-called traps for codling moths should be strips of corrugated cardboard about 20 cm high and attached to the tree at a minimum height of one meter. Because the corrugated cardboard provides the perfect environment for the larvae to hatch, they are drawn to the protected warmth and darkness of the material. This important task belongs to April gardening and it is beneficial to do it. You should replace the corrugated cardboard regularly and dispose of the larvae. Other methods that are part of environmentally friendly control are treatment with hormones during the mating season or the use of beneficial insects in the garden.
An environmentally friendly and very effective method of controlling codling moths are strips of corrugated cardboard hanging on the tree
The warmth and darkness attract the larvae and so they are trapped in the simple trap
Anyone who sows and plants bee-friendly plants can live almost without codling moths in their orchard
Good conditions for songbirds also keep pesky codling moths away from your garden
When is the best time to control codling moths?
It is always best to try to follow nature’s natural processes and use natural means to solve your gardening problems. Here’s how you can save your fruit harvest if you know what the codling moth’s natural enemies are. If you create a suitable environment for codling moth enemies, you have one less thing to worry about. Many songbirds are happy about the nutritious maggots, but the maggots don’t have such a good chance of surviving next to bees either. Many plants call themselves bee-friendly and we recommend planting them. Earwigs and parasitic wasps are known to be opponents of many pests. If you don’t know exactly how to attract these insects to your garden, you can buy cards with eggs and hang them on the trees. This should also happen at the right time. And the right time is right now in April, because the codling moths have their offspring up to twice a year.
In any case, it is very important to know the life cycle and specifics of the pests
In the autumn the eggs are laid, in the spring the larvae emerge and pupate in order to be able to live on as flutter
The first generation hatches in May and June, and the second – in August and September. The moths lay their eggs in the fruit trees, where the larvae find their way to the fruit pulp. If you want to enjoy fresh and good fruit from your own garden, then make an effort at the right time! We wish you every success with it!
Confusion by hormones is used successfully in many farms
Besides apples, codling moths like plums, apricots, cherries and walnuts
Once nature springs back to life, check each tree for larvae and cocoons
Always make birds happy in your gardenn visit
Also, as a preventive measure, hang or tape corrugated cardboard to the trees and check regularly for infestations
The corrugated cardboard should reach at least one meter tree height
If you don’t keep to the right times, you can expect a spoiled harvest and inedible fruits
The clever gardener appreciates every grown and ripened fruit well
The more bees and birds, the lower the risk of codling moths
Learn to recognize the pests well and fight them regularly
Successful production not only requires a lot of work, but precise knowledge of all the benefits and risks in the garden
Enjoy a good harvest and write down all the important tasks for the coming year
