Codling Moth or maggoty apples are a common pest on predominantly apples but sometimes will also affect pears.
Guava Moth is becoming a nasty pest very quickly with hosts that include feijoas, mandarins, plums, lemons and more. The Guava Moth caused a lot of damage last year, specifically in feijoa and mandarins.
Both pests lay eggs on developing fruit or adjacent leaves, once hatched the larvae of both moths enter into the host fruit, doing its damage mostly unseen, apart from maybe some frass at the entry point into the fruit. As a result, the fruit will either fall off prematurely or is inedible when picked.
How to Control
The best way to control both the Codling Moth and Guava Moth is to firstly to ensure good husbandry is kept. This includes the removal of leaf litter and soil debris from around the plant. Secondly, the use of a pheromone trap can also help. These traps are chemical-free and non-toxic.
Pheremone traps are available in store from $27.99
The pheromone trap attracts and traps the male moth and prevents it from mating which in turn prevents female moths from laying any eggs. It will also identify the level of infestation, if few male moth are caught no further spraying is recommended if lots of moths are caught further sprays are recommended. Next, we recommend spraying Neem Oil every 7 days until no more moths are caught or Yates Success Ultra which will kill any newly hatched caterpillars. As Guava Moths have a wider range of hosts the use of pheromone traps might need to be repeated. Please read and follow any label directions to ensure you get the best results.