But maybe I'm too hasty, and I certainly haven't been systematic or scientific.

Today I was going through my tree looking for varieties that are ripe (nothing yet, but Gala's getting close and I think Carousel/Cameo might be getting there) and I took a closer look. Quite a number of bagged/sprayed apples are untouched by CM, quite a blessing. CM season is pretty much over now, not that 4 generations isn't enough, so we may be OK this year.

Still, I think next year I'll just go with spraying Spinosad, and I'll hit it a little earlier; I may have been a couple of days late with my first or second sprays. (I'll also bag about 100 apples in cotton parts bags as an experment and just to keep the neighbors guessing, and I'll increase the use of pheromone disruption as Scott suggest.)

If you do choose to experiment with the footies, and I'm not saying you should, I think the best way to hold them on the tree is to slip the footy over the apple and then secure it around the stem with a rubber band. I used the skinny, cheap rubber bands that come on our newspaper. It's reasonably easy to wrap them over your fingers and then slip that over the bagged apple. They degrade slowly in the summer sun and are easy to break, which facilitates removal of the bag. It'll slide off with a soft tug. I also experimented with the little white plastic clips that come on bread bags, and I broke off several fruit spurs trying to get them to let go.

I know others here have experimented with footies and been disappointed. So it may just be one of those things that 'depends", and I may find a good number of unbagged apples that are clear too. Be interesting to see, and I'll post what I learn in the weeks to come.

All just thoughts and all just FWIW.

Good luck,

M

I tried a couple of ziplock bags and they kept blowing off in my west texas wind. Maybe I didn't do it right.

This is presumably supposed to work against codling moth. They'll be selling them.

Of course for the past few years they've been promoting straight nylon footies against codling moth and apple maggot even though it turns out they are nearly useless against codling moth.

Hopefully this new approach works better.

Well, if pre-coated footies work better than bagging the apples and then spraying them, well and good. One has to wonder how well the coated footies will hold up under handling. Myself, I found the entire experience frustrating enough that I'm going to bag it.

I have to say, if you want to do bagging Don's got it covered (so to speak) with zip locks.

This year I will, as I said, be aggressive and a little bit early with Spinosad. Last season showed real progress against codling moth. If I'm able to whittle down the base population to the point where I only have to deal with newcomers things will be easier, and it'll be much less challenging to keep on top of it.

We'll see. Right now we have fresh snow on the ground, and more to come; for now it's not spring yet, and I'm still waiting for Raintree to ship my new apricot tree ... scions are ordered and in a few weeks I'll begin to assault my little prune plum as I have done my poor Liberty apple and the Gold Spice pear. That constitutes my "orchard"!

Good luck all,

Mark

This summer I am going to use the codling moth granulosis virus and see how that works, along with mating disruption plus the occasional Bt and spinosad spray. This virus needs to be reapplied weekly but there is a short period when I got a big flight in early July last year (2nd generation I expect) and I think if I spray like crazy around that period I can whack 'em way back.

Scott

What is your source for the granulosis virus and the mating disruption pheromones?

Since I have a lifetime supply of Virosoft I may be interested in selling some of mine. You need about 1 tsp for a 5-gallon backpack and I have 32 oz which is 200 backpack loads. Since I will be doing at most 10 backpacks per year I expect, thats a 20 year supply I bought. Drop me an email if you want an oz or two of my supply (each oz makes around 30 gallons of spray), I will sell it at my cost.

I also bought several years worth of disruption lures from them; both the lures and the Virosoft can be stored for several years in the fridge (the former refrigerated and the latter frozen). You can tell if the lures are still good by smelling them, the pheromone is a sweet smell that is easy to recognize.

Scott

Most definitely. I always trim off the lip that extends past the zip line. Cut off the corners just enough to allow it to drain rain water. Partially close a little less than half the zip on the bag. Slide it over the fruit snug and then staple as close to the fruit as you can. Then close the rest of the bag as snugly as you can and staple as close to the fruit on that side as you can.

Since starting with footies 2 years ago, no insect problems with footies on peaches and no sprays once the footies are installed at about 3/4"+- fruit.

Michael