After the larva get into the tree there is no means of control so you need to know when the pupae will become the adult moths that will lay the eggs that will become the larva that bore into your trees and control the adults and the eggs. The best place to find out what can be used, about when, is your local office of your state universities USDA Cooperative Extension Service.

I developed the following method which works fairly well. The borers usually enter the tree just under the soil surface and up to about 12 inches on the trunk. I take old tee shirts (or any type of stretchy cotton material), cut them in 3" strips and wrap the strips around the base of a tree overlapping them, digging away soil at the trunk base to a depth of several inches. Then, using a tongue depressor I heavily coat the stripping with Tangle-Foot. This traps and catches the moths when they fly in to lay eggs. Do not apply Tangle-Foot directly onto the tree trunk. This treatment is good for several years before it has to be replaced and does not harm the tree.

You will probably have to order Tangle-Foot on line from their website. Very nice, helpful company. They also have developed a spray-on type, but order the original, thick, gooey product and wear rubber gloves when using it as it is impossible to clean off your hands.

To deal with your immediate problem try the following old time method. Heat a thin piece of wire with a lighter and quickly insert the hot wire into a borer hole, holding it there for a few seconds. Repeat, treating as many borer holes as you can find. Remember, some of those holes are just under the soil surface and you will need to scrape soil away from the trunk.

using the tangle foot would work for any insect that comes up for the bottom on any of my fruit trees, wouldn't it? So as upkeep for all my trees (apple, apricot, nectarine, peach, pear) would this combination work? tangle-foot and bagging the fruit (plastic bags for the pears and apples and footies for the peaches, apricots, and nectarines - by the way, wear do you buy these?) - would I need to do anything else - or am I basically covered for disease and insects this way? I'm also planning on planting garlic and nasturiums under the trees. Do you need to retie the t-shirts as the tree grows?

Kandituft, you will notice that I specified using a "stretchy cotton material". This, cut into strips, is wrapped securely but not tightly around tree trunk base and wrappings/Tangle-Foot are replaced EVERY two years. The 'stretch' of the material allows for trunk growth without strangling the tree. No promises that this treatment will solve all your fruit tree problems. But, it should help your battle against peach borer and other insects that climb from the ground.

thank you so much! now, I just have to find someone that sells tangle-foot. I checked their website and it said to send them a message to locate a dealer. I didn't see anywhere I could order it directly.

I believe that inserting wires into the bore holes is good...also squirt some lime/sulfur in the hole also.

If you are practicing organic gardening, do not use lime or sulfur. You can use BT. The advice from nandina about trapping them or killing them with a wire is good sound advice.

Jamie Wheeler is the author of "Organic Gardening Secrets", dedicated to helping you grow healthy, pesticide free fruits and vegetables at home without spending a lot of time or money.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Gardening Secrets

Want info. On how to take care of my peach tree had it 4years the fruit on it good but I've. Spayed it for bugs but nothing works???it gets no bigger then 10feet tallits called5in one fruit tree its awesome!!!get rid of bugsthank u patti