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It can be so discouraging to go through the effort and time of raising apple trees, seeing the beautiful blossoms and then the little apples appearing, only to see brown spots where worms are making a home in your future crop. With the emphasis on taking care of our environment, pesticides are a last resort as they kill the good bugs with the bad bugs. So how can you control these little larvae which will grow into codling moths organically? Follow these steps.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1: Prepare a lure for the moths by mixing water (4 1/2 c.), white vinegar (1 c.), molasses (1/2 c.) and a little ammonia (1/8 tsp) and pour into a container like a milk jug to hang from a tree. Cut an opening about 2 inches wide on the neck to allow the moths to enter. Hang two or three of these in each tree. The moths will be attracted to the lure and drown in the liquid.
Step2: Remove all traces of infested fruit. There is a good chance that they are home to some larvae that will grow into moths which will lay more eggs in your tree. If fruit has fallen on the ground, rake it up and bury it away from the tree. Any fruit on the tree with the telltale brown spots will need to be pruned out as much as possible.
Step3: When the larvae emerge they will form cocoons and then turn into moths over a few weeks. Prepare a nesting site for them by wrapping the base of the trunk with corrugated cardboard a few layers thick about 6 inches wide. This will provide a nice nesting place for them. Check the cardboard for cocoons every week or so and when you see them appearing, replace the cardboard with new cardboard. Get rid of the old cardboard by disposing of it in a garbage bag.
Step4: Spray any visible eggs with a summer oil of soybean oil (3 tbsp), pure soap like Ivory (1 tsp) and water (1 qt). Shake well and spray using a hand sprayer. The soap emulsifies the oil and the water is the carrying agent. The oil residue left behind after it dries will suffocate the eggs.
Step5: Repeat these steps every six to eight weeks. The moths may go through up to three complete life cycles in the course of one summer.
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