Peach twig borer
(Anarsia lineatella)
Regularly occurring in Europe, mostly multivoltine pest.
Food plant:
Apricot, peach, nectarine, almond
Detriment:
The caterpillar harms the arising buds, then the sprouts, chewing them from the inside. The larvae of the further generations attack the fruit itself. One caterpillar usually harms one fruit.
Lifestyle:
The young larvae winter inside the bark. The grown caterpillar cocoons in the inside of the damaged sprout or between the dried, weaved leaves. Depending on the year and weather the swarming of the first generation starts at the end of May. The swarming of the second generation is expected from mid-July, whereas the third one swarms at the end of August. The moths lay their eggs in to the depressions of the leaf veins and on to the fruits.
Recommended protection:
It is recommended to start the protection three weeks of the start of swarming, and 7-10 days of mass swarming, when mass hatching of the larvae takes place. Chemical protection is the most effective at the time of peak swarming and mass hatching.
Pheromone trap placement:
It is recommended to place the traps in the first half of May. Replace the dispensers and the sticky boards in every 6 weeks, preferably not around the time of peak swarming.
Check the traps twice a week. Count the number of moths captured in the particular period and note the number. The swarming dynamics are visible from the data and the time of intervention is definable. Should the trap capture too few moths, even at peak swarming time, it refers to low infection. In this case the moths can be captured by placing some further traps in smaller gardens and the population can be controlled without spraying, so that we can preserve our environment.
Empirical swarming curve of the peach twig borer in Central-Europe:
The introduced empirical swarming curve was prepared by using data of many years, however the swarming may be different depending on the weather and the microclimate of the arable land, therefore the thorough observation of swarming is also important.