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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Help! We've got apple maggots!

Looks like an apple!
My new partner, Daniel, owns a property in the Cle Elum area of Kittitas County in Washington (I mentioned the area in my previous post about checking out rural properties). You'll be hearing a lot about the projects we have going on over there, but as spring is upon this mountainous area, we needed to get on top of the fact that the apple tree on his property was severely infested with apple maggots last year.

I looked into a number of different options but went on the recommendations from our local nursery and that was to start with apple maggot traps and lures. Once we have signs of apple maggots, we will spray the trees with what they recommended, Bonide Fruit Tree Spray. However, the fruit tree spray we got isn't exactly the most organic thing I'd want to use, breathe in and, ultimately, eat.

So, we are running into two problems right now:

Quarantine areas of WA
1. Identification: How do you identify apple maggots on the traps versus all the various other little flying bug things that are getting stuck to it? I'm assuming pictures of adult maggots on the web are what I'm matching the trap corpses to?

and

2. Organic Options: When they do show up, what's a good (or several) organic alternative so I don't have to be concerned with what I'm ingesting both fresh and preserved?

What do you use to treat apple maggots (and coddling moths while we're at it)? I've never had apple maggots before, so I need your help!!


Warning: this post has affiliate links and all that.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 1, 2019 at 2:26 PM

    Have never had apple maggots but found this https://www.gardensalive.com/product/apple-maggot-solutions Gardens Alive is an environmentally responsible garden supply company which supports the NPR show "You Bet Your Garden" -- all organic gardening.

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  2. AnonymousMay 13, 2019 at 12:49 PM

    Any luck with the apple maggots?

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  3. NicoleJanuary 22, 2020 at 6:52 AM

    Would Neem oil be an option? I have found it helpful with cabbage worms. It is reputed to be an organic/responsible pest control option. As long as you put it on when your pollinators aren't actually on the plants when you are spraying, the residue will take care of something like a maggot, I would think. Do you have an area Extension Service that could advise you?

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