Pest

The codling moth is one of the most important insect pests of pome fruits. It can cause considerable harvest losses and can cause secondary fruit rot on the tree and in storage. The caterpillar bores itself into the apple up to the core and eats both fruit flesh and the seeds. It leaves brown excrement crumbs in the feeding tunnels. Some of the excrement is transported outside through the borehole. Infested fruits fall off prematurely and start to rot.

Depending on the local climate, the codling moth develops in 2 generations in Germany. In cooler areas only one generation develops. The moths hatch at the end of April. The females lay about 80 to 120 eggs individually on fruits or surrounding leaves at temperatures above 16°C. After about 8 – 15 days the caterpillars hatch and bore into the fruit after feeding from the surface. They pass through five larval stages within about four weeks and then leave the fruit to pupate under the bark or in the ground. A second generation of moths appears from July onwards. The larvae of this generation hatch at the end of July and damage already ripening fruits during this time.

Monitoring the Development of the Codling Moth with TRIPHERON^®Traps
The beginning of the flight activity of the moths can be detected by pheromone traps. Pheromone traps intercept the male moths and can thus partially reduce the fertilization of the females and thus the deposit of eggs. They should be hung up in the outer crown of the trees from the end of April. At the beginning of the flight activity, the beginning of larval hatching and thus the necessary treatment time can be calculated.