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Spray for Apple Maggot and Coddling Moth

brenda_md
11 years ago

I have three apple trees and need to spray for the apple maggot and coddling moth. I know I have already missed a required spray or two for these pests. I want to use as little pesticide as possible and am not looking for "perfect" apples. The premixed orchard sprays contain malathion and carbaryl, neither of which I want to use.

Spectracide's Triazicide 'Once and Done' insect spray has come up in my searches for fruit tree insect pest spray. Is this spray aceeptable for apple trees and would I get decent pest control using it? I am not concerned with fungal problems as they have not been a big issue, especially since I don't need the "perfect" apple for home use. I would really appreciate any advice you can provide me on this, thanks.

Comments (10)

  • ltilton
    11 years ago

    Many people on this forum have had good results using that product for those pests.

  • brenda_md
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks ltilton.

  • myk1
    11 years ago

    There's a limited number of sprays with Triazicide and apples. I use Triazicide for curculio and am out of sprays by the time moths and flies come around. Malathion works for me.

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    Have you properly identified these as your key pests? Where you are, by the time AFM becomes a problem, unsprayed fruit will likely be decimated by plum curculio. The first round of CM comes during PC control (4 weeks following petal fall in my area).

    Other growers in your area have more trouble with Oriental fruit moth than either of the pests you mention- however, control would be similar, except that it is possible to control AFM without insecticide. You can smear fake apples with tangle trap and put in about two per tree to trap them out.

  • Scott F Smith
    11 years ago

    Brenda, I don't get any apple maggot fly damage where I am. Apple maggot is a pest further north of MD; unless you are in far western MD you should also not have to worry about it. I occasionally do see flies that are perfect matches of what apple maggot flies look like, but I have yet to find a single damaged apple.

    Scott

  • brenda_md
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    mykl - appreciate the info on the use limitation of Triazicide.

    harvestman - you are correct. After searching picture damage of pests, I believe it is Plum Curculio instead of apple maggot. However, coddling moths are the other problem.

    Scott - I live just a few miles west of Frederick, MD. Based on these two pests in the area, should I just use the Malathion? What would be the correct spray schedule for apples here in Maryland for these two pests?

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    You should use the triazide for PC and early CM. Unless you want to go Scotts more laborious and less toxic route. There's another pesticide by Bayer that is a synthetic nicotine product that you could use once you've exhausted legal aps for triazide.

    You need to make first application at petal fall. Too late is too late.

    Malathion has a very short duration so will likely require 2 or 3 as many applications unless the pest only shows up once and can be treated when identified.

  • marknmt
    11 years ago

    Timing matters a lot for codling moth- use traps to catch the males, and once you have a few males count the days (depends on temperature) until a spray will catch the eggs laid by the fertile females. Call your local extension people for exact timing. You have to get a spray on the young fruit that will quickly kill the hatching eggs. Malathion will work if perfectly timed; triazicide stays around longer and works well. Spinosad will work with good timing (and you have a little more freedom with multiple sprays) and may even kill even penetrating larvae, which means that they don't die until they've gotten into the apple a bit, but they don't go on to destroy the apple from the inside out.

    Just from my limited experience. CM is my main pest issue here.

    Good luck,

    M

  • Scott F Smith
    11 years ago

    Brenda, Hman's method will work for you. I use organic methods which are less toxic but more work. If you want to try organic methods plan on putting a lot more time into it and get a copy of Michael Phillips book, The Apple Grower.

    Scott

  • brenda_md
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Okay, thanks all. I will try the triazicide and other as necessary. I will be more diligent about this next year and hopefully go more organic. I will definitely check out Michael Phillips' book.

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