How Do I Keep Bugs Off My Apple Tree?

Mow around the tree or, better yet, replace grass with mulch.

Remove plastic and paper tree guards

where adult moths and flies like to overwinter, and replace them with wire mesh guards. Prune the apple tree every winter prior to new growth. Cut out any crossing branches, water spouts, and generally over-crowded areas.

What can you spray on fruit trees to keep bugs off?

Homemade Oil-Soap Spray

Experts at Oregon State University recommend

mixing 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing soap per cup of water

. This spray will help with aphids, mites, scales and other insects that have very small breathing holes.

How do I get rid of bugs on my apple tree?

Apply neem oil, insecticidal soaps or Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)

if insects or other pests infest the tree. Bt is effective against leaf-eating pests, such as caterpillars and web worms. Spray when the pests are present on the tree.

How do you get rid of bugs on fruit trees?

We typically recommend fruit tree sprays with a combination of

insecticide and disease-control

ingredients; including, but not limited to: Bonide Fruit Tree & Plant Guard; Bonide Fruit Tree Spray; Bonide Malathion Insect Control; Hi-Yield 55% Malathion; and Hi-Yield Lawn, Garden, Pet & Livestock Insect Control.

What bugs eat apple tree leaves?

• Aphids: Aphids are a fairly common problem on apples. …
• Mites: Two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) and European red mites (Panonychus ulmi) can be serious pests of apples. …
• Japanese Beetle: The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) adults feed on the leaves during June and July.

How do I control aphids on my apple tree?

A

well-aimed jet of water from a hand-held sprayer

may be all that is needed on a small tree, or spray with Westland Resolva. The sprays will kill other insects too. If you need to use when the trees are in flower, apply at dusk to avoid harming pollinating insects.

What can you spray on apple trees to keep bugs away?

In spring just before new leaves emerge, spray trees with

nontoxic horticultural oil

. The oil smothers dormant insects and their eggs.

What is the best spray for fruit trees?

When sprayed on dormant fruit trees,

horticultural oil

kills overwintering scale insects, mealybugs, mites, aphids, and other pests on the bark of the tree. Depending on the manufacturer, horticultural oil has either a mineral (petroleum) or plant base. One application per year, or less, is typical.

Can you spray vinegar on fruit trees?

Ideally, you should be using vinegar to spray areas in and around the garden,

not

directly on your plants. Vinegar is also great for chasing fruit flies away from your fruit trees and plants. … Simply soak a few items in vinegar and strategically place them around your garden.

How do you make homemade fruit tree spray?

Make your own soap spray by

mixing 1 tbsp. dish soap (not detergent) with 1 gallon of water

. Spray on plants, including underside of leaves, and be sure to wash any fruit caught in the spray thoroughly before eating. Soap will not harm the tree, but it will get rid of unwanted visitors to your fruit trees.

How do you protect fruit from bugs?

1. Healthy Plants Keep Bugs Away. Your first line of defense in keeping fruit trees insect-free is to pick your plants with care. …
2. Grow Trees in the Right Conditions. …
3. Keep Trees Tidy. …
4. Use Chemical Sprays. …
5. Install Insect Blockers. …
6. Prune Your Tree Frequently. …
7. Welcome Birds to Your Garden.

What is eating the leaves on my fruit trees?

Caterpillars, sawflies, leafminers, beetles, worms and other insect larvae

attack various species of trees consuming their leaves. The damage caused by leaf-eating insects ranges, but in extreme circumstances defoliation may occur. Caterpillars, leafminers and leafrollers are the larvae of butterflies or moths.

How do I know if my apple tree is diseased?

Symptoms:

Brown or olive green spots develop on apple tree leaves

, which may then curl and fall off. On the apple, dark green spots appear on its surface, later to become darker, flaky, and even cracked. Infected fruit will usually drop, and infections may limit flower formation.

What is the best pesticide for apple trees?

Spinosad

.

Spinosad

products are effective against some apple tree fruit pests, including codling moth, apple pandemis, leafrollers and apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella). It is a microbial product that kills insects in two ways, contact and ingestion.

What diseases affect apple trees?

• Aphids.
• Apple scab.
• Brown rot.
• Caterpillars.
• Honey fungus.
• Poor fruiting.