Vanisle_BC
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Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)

Can I spray apples now?

Mid August something is causing small areas of damage to the half-ripe apples on my tree. Ants get into the damaged parts and make things worse. Is there anything it's safe to spray, or anything else I can do, at this time of year and still have edible apples in a few weeks time?

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

It was interesting to see you post this after just coming back inside this morning wondering why some of my PEARS have holes in them occupied by tiny sugar ants and having found one pear with of all things a CLICK BEETLE trying to burrow into a hole.

I had formed the impression that
  • something was making holes and soft spots
  • ants were getting in the holes
…but it didn’t seem likely that click beetles were making the holes even though I had pried one out by the abdomen. I’d never considered them as culprit

So having seen your post, I included apples in my search, and came across a reference that
— click beetles burrow into holes made by EXITING European Sawfly during “pink” stage of apples

Well, if pink stage of apples is same as my pears starting to show color, then we have a match.

The problem according to anther reference is the European Sawflies apparently laid eggs under the calyx at petal fall, rummaged around inside the developing fruits, and are now emerging as adults. Nothing can be done. Those are probably basically lost — I brought some of the damaged pears in to cut open and see what they look like inside, but haven’t done it yet.

One organic solution according to one vendor* for Surround is to cover spray AT “90% PETAL DROP” in spring with Surround — this is that white stuff @peppehead sprays on everything to discourage a large list of pests.

I have 1/2 a bag — I just have not gotten in the habit of using it even though he has demonstrated year after year that it does work.

I need to reconsider. I got a bit turned off when I went overboard and REALLY sprayed everything…and everything turned WHITE. I had trouble getting it off some things that had been unintentionally sprayed ….

Will definitely start using it but judiciously :>


I believe it might be helpful to apply Surround to hard fruits like apples and pears even now. It may help to discourage some other pests like ants IF the fruit could have been salvageable. Apples in particular are smooth and can be scrubbed. Not as confident about pears, but I may try.




* I wasn’t going to name the vendor, but going back to look, I just had to quote this part …if there was any doubt, both our locations are mentioned LOL

European Apple Sawfly Controls
https://www.arbico-organics.com/categor ... y-Controls
The European Apple Sawfly was first noted on Long Island, NY and on Vancouver Island, Victoria B.C. in 1939. They have spread slowly to New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire and southern New York.

Vanisle_BC
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Posts: 1354
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)

Hmm. Thanks @Applestar, for the research & info. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. It's too late this year anyway, to do other than remove & destroy the affected fruit. Ironically this is the first time our quite old tree has had a significant crop. I'd long decided it never would.

Looking at photos online I see 2 types of damage; long tracks under the skin or roughened spots/pockets (where the ants get in). On my tree I see only the localised 'small crater' type of damage; no sub-cutaneous(?) tracks.

Treating my tree with the right stuff at exactly the right time sounds a bit tricky. On the New England fruit tree management page I found a table listing several alternatives for spraying at blossom time:

https://netreefruit.org/apples/spray-ta ... loom-apple.

I may decide to simply police the fruit in future years and destroy whatever shows damage.

Thanks and good luck with your pears.

PS: It's interesting that Vancouver Island was one of 2 places the E.A. sawfly was first detected. This is also where one of my ancestral 'tribe' nostalgically imported the much-despised 'Scotch' Broom. (In Scotland it's just Broom. I suppose in China, Chinese food is just food :)). But I digress - not unusual but maybe exacerbated by Covid-related cabin fever. I'll stop now.



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