Apple Pest/Disease?

[ryanguevara1983]

My apples are dropping very quickly. There's a small spot to start, which grows bigger and bigger. I've got loads of apples on the tree, but fear they will all drop off eventually. I'm pretty sure it's wasps - saw one crawling out of one of the holes earlier. My uncle says I should pick all of the ones that are not affected, and store them to ripen up, so that they don't all get infected. The apples are looking big but still taste a bit sour. Any different advice?


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[FB.]

Which variety of apple do you have?

Any chance of some pictures to identify the apples and confirm the problem?

[ryanguevara1983]

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[ryanguevara1983]

Thanks very much - here are some pics. I'm not sure if the variety, I inherited it when I moved house. It seems like a Cox kind of fruit. A lovely tree with loads if apples - really want to help it!!


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[ryanguevara1983]

Apple Pest/Disease?

Hi all, I'm re-posting my problem as I now have photos! Slowly but surely, every apple on the tree is being affected. It starts as a little spot then grows and grows, then it rots and drops. The tree seems quite old, but was laden with nice big fruit, and there's still loads on it. Not sure of variety as I've inherited it - seems like a Cox sort if type. Any clues? I've seen lots of wasps?


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[boundtothesoil]

Not sure what your variety is, but if it's ripe now then it narrows it down to a relatively early variety. However, of these, it doesn't look like Discovery or Scarlet Pimpernel. It could be George Cave, a variety pretty susceptible to scab where I live. Early varieties don't tend to store well.

Pest/disease -wise, the most likely causes of small holes in apples at this time of the year, where I live, are codling moth larvae (cut open an infected fruit and see if there is any sign of a little pinky white caterpillar or its tunnels) or wasp/bird attack. In the latter case there shouldn't, initially, be any internal damage/tunnels. However, in both cases brown rots may invade the wound site/exit hole/entry hole and often progressively rot the infected fruit. Not much you can do at this stage of the season apart from removing all rotting fruit and 'drowning' in a bucket of water those fruits you suspect of harbouring codling moth larvae thereby reducing the overwintering population. Some varieties are less susceptible to codling moth attack than others. I have a few wasp traps made out of lemonade bottles hanging amongst my trees. They work pretty well, but there are always more wasps Having said the above, I'm not convinced that the damage shown in your photos fits.

[Scarlet]

Pest/disease -wise, the most likely causes of small holes in apples at this time of the year, where I live, are codling moth larvae (cut open an infected fruit and see if there is any sign of a little pinky white caterpillar or its tunnels)

Yes, that's what I've got on one of my early trees, I use them for cooking. Quarter and cut out the tunnelled parts.

[ryanguevara1983]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. The fruits look nice and big so I've decided to strip the tree. About 95% are infected! The ones on the floor are duds, the few in the basket are keepers!! Taking the duds to the local dump. Do you have any advice for next season? Can it be avoided? Thanks, Ryan


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[veggiechicken]

Ryan, I've merged your two threads since you've had answers on both.

[ryanguevara1983]

Thank you - I tried to get rid of the photo-less thread but couldn't, R.


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