Fruit trees that are ignored usually don't produce a plentiful and healthy harvest each year. It takes work and part of that work is keeping harmful, damaging pests from your trees. There usually isn't a quick fix to a problem pest; you'll need to take a well-rounded approach by maintaining a good balance between harmful and beneficial insects. Proper pruning, weed control, irrigation and fertilization are all components of growing healthy fruit trees. If necessary, take further measures to keep problem pests off your fruit trees.
Differentiate between harmful and beneficial insects so you do not keep the beneficial insects from your trees. Beneficial insects include lacewings, ladybugs, wasps, praying mantis and ground beetles. Harmful insects include different types of scale, moths, worms, caterpillars, earwigs, mites and aphids.
Spray trees with a dormant oil, per manufacturer directions, during their dormant season when you're less likely to kill beneficial insects. This works well on most fruit trees, including apple, pear, peach and apricot. During other times of the year, only spray for pests if they are severely damaging your trees. Use a selective pesticide designed to kill only the problem pest, not beneficial insects.
Hang sticky traps from the trees that are designed to monitor and capture the nuisance pests in question. A commercial yellow sticky trap, for example, can be used to keep apple maggots off your trees. You can also wrap the trunk with heavy paper, tape it in place, and then apply a sticky substance sold for this purpose on the paper to keep adult pests that come from the ground off your trees.
Prune limbs away from roofs, fences and the ground to keep ants, squirrels and rodents off your trees. Incorporate sound devices, scare-eye balloons and Mylar streamers to keep birds from your fruit trees. Birds become accustomed to scare tactics so alternate and move objects every few weeks. You can also cover your fruit trees with nets when they're fruiting to keep birds off.
Things You Will Need
- Dormant oil
- Thick paper
- Sticky substance
- Sticky traps
- Sound devices
- Scare-eye balloons
- Mylar streamers
- Fruit nets
- Pruning tool
- University of California: Pests & Diseases
- University of California: Calendar of Backyard Gardening Operations For Selected Temperate Fruit and Nut Trees
- Washington State University: Protecting Backyard Apple Trees From Apple Maggots
- University of California: Earwigs
- University of California: Key to Identifying Common Household Ants
- University of California: Birds on Fruit Trees and Vines
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