Plum moth control and life cycle
It’s gardening Q&A time, and I’m sharing the answer to a question I was asked by Jo.
She’s had a bumper harvest from her plum tree this year, but when she cut open the ripe fruits, she found something rather unpleasant inside.
Around the stones, there was brown discolouration, and upon closer inspection, the culprits were still present. Plum moth caterpillars.
In this video, we’ll look at the problem, understand the lifecycle of the plum moth, and evaluate the possible methods of plum moth control.
Watch the video:
Share your thoughts
I hope you’ve found this Q&A video interesting. Please leave me a comment below if so. Also, I’m interested to hear if you’ve experienced the same issue before if you grow plums.
Remember, you can ask me your gardening questions here. I do my best to get back to them all – and my answer to your question might be the subject of my next Q&A video!
Until next time, enjoy your garden.
Joe
Joe Vary Dip. Hort (Wisley), MCIHort, CMTGG
I'm a gardener, educator, consultant, and planting designer. Learn with me 1-to-1, or join my mentoring group and community.
This Post Has 8 Comments
Very helpful overview and advice Joe, and of course these infestations of moth or fly (Diptera) apply with other fruit. Wild (and cultivated) Black bury has suffered very badly this year and I think this has been in part to a rapid ripening during the last sun/heat wave followed by wet weather, which has assisted rot on the bush. You can usually detect the entry point of the bug once hatched from the egg at the the point where the berry hangs from the bush after you pick. I have found most berries containing a maggot. One view of course is to ignore and eat anyway! Not so good for vegetarians but at least natural! Any other thoughts?
Thanks Martin,
I don’t think I’ve harvested any blackberries this year. We’re spoilt living so close to a berry farm 🍓
I expect the damage you’re seeing could be Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). As you may know, they’re quite the generalist. Any fruit will do!
Having said that, a friend who owns a vineyard told me they only affect his red skinned grapes. The green skinned one have so far, escaped any damage.
I hope that in time, with more naturalistic management of gardens, land, and farms, we may see more “wild control agents” managing numbers of pests to some degree. But perhaps this is wishful thinking as it requires effort from a wide range of people/organisations, and ultimately mindset change.
There are of course methods of control that can help, including physical barriers, good crop hygiene, traps, and sadly pesticides etc. But there may reach a point where the expense (both energy and money) to do this is too much.
Tolerating a bit of insect in your fruit may be the best option, but not one I think most people will have the appetite for 😆
All the best,
Joe
Thank you. Very informative and helpful
Great to hear from you Renee.
I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed the video and that it was helpful. Hope you’re enjoying your garden and have had orchids again this year.
Best wishes,
Joe
Thanks Joe, very informative and I like your guitar playing in the background!
Thank you Jo. Great to hear from you.
Really pleased you found the video interesting and the music enjoyable 😊
All the best,
Joe
Another interesting and informative video Joe. I really appreciate you doing a whole video on my ‘plum issue’, and for explaining what has happened in such clear and ‘user friendly ‘ language ! It is true, the affected plums were those that ripened early and that was when I thought that the whole crop would be inedible. However the rest of the crop has been exceptional and abundant. I will consider using some fine mess netting next year for those couple of potentially ‘dodgy’ moth months!!
Lovely too to hear your guitar playing background!
Thanks Jo,
I’m really pleased to hear the rest of your crop was in good condition 🍒
Happy harvesting.
Joe