As far as graden maladies go I've been fairly blessed really, but this season has delivered some unique first-time challenges. Just as I'm reeling from the recent outbreak of the Apple Mosaic Virus, today I've discovered something just as unsightly and potentially much more destructive. My best guess so far is that I'm dealing with the Codling Moth. So far the only activity is on the Summer Strawberry which is bad enough but I am dreading the appearance of these onomous wounds on my other trees, particularly my coveted Bramley. As with the Mosaic virus I'm trying to be philosophical about the whole thing. An early crop lost means supsequent, larger crops will be better protected. I'm also finding that changes in weather from season to season seem to be influential in which pests are active. Last year was constantly wet and swarming with aphids, this year is substantially drier and who knows what horrors will come next. Anyway, let the power of macro photography take you into the perverted world of the Codling Moth.
The first sign is this wierd saw dust stuff or 'frass' that activates disappointment.
Once cleared away there is a shallow crater with a tiny hole.
Sectioning this apple revealled a similarly shallow cavern. I couldn't find any kind of grub after poking around suggesting these might be Codling Moth 'stings'. That's where the grub starts eating and then stops for some reason and hopefully dies.
So many of the Summer Strawberry apples are affected I lost count!
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