Apple Pest Management for Home Gardeners
Home gardens with only a few trees make limiting pesticide use feasible while still producing a great crop of apples. This publication outlines basic principles of pest management for home-grown apples.
Insects
Codling Moth
Codling moth is an insect pest of apple, pear, and walnut crops in Wisconsin. Larval feeding can render fruit unmarketable, potentially causing severe economic loss. Learn how to identify, monitor, and deter this insect pest.
Plum Curculio
Plum curculio is one of the most common and detrimental pests of apple and other fruits in Wisconsin. Learn about the life cycle, damage patterns, and control options to effectively manage plum curculio.
Bagging Apples for Insect and Disease Control
Producing apples in home gardens can be challenging due to damage by insects and fungal diseases. One effective organic solution is placing developing fruit in bags. This factsheet describes the process.
Apple Maggot
If you have an apple tree in your backyard, you’ve probably found out that apple maggot likes your fruit as much as you do. Learn more about this pesky fly and what to do about it in this article…
Spotted Wing Drosophila
Spotted wing Drosophila is an invasive vinegar fly that can affect a wide variety of fruits, especially raspberries, in Wisconsin. Learn identification and management techniques in this factsheet.
Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is a significant pest of landscape trees and shrubs, vegetable and fruit crops, and turfgrass. This factsheet describes the lifecycle of this beetle along with management and control options.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Brown marmorated stink bug is a non-native pest that feeds on awide range of plants. This insect is also a nusiance when it overwinters indoors. Learn about identification and management in this factsheet.
Webworms
The term webworm is used to describe several insects whose caterpillars use silk to join plant parts together to form protective nests. Learn about two webworms found in Wisconsin in this factsheet.
Spongy Moth
Spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) is a destructive insect when the caterpillars occur in large numbers and defoliate trees. This factsheet will help with identification and management of this pest.
Aphids
Aphids are soft-bodied, insects that feed on plant sap and subsequently excrete a sugary substance that can attract ants as well as support a saprophytic fungus called sooty mold. Learn about aphids found in home gardens in this factsheet.
Aphids, in-depth
Aphids are really fascinating insects, with bizarre lifestyles and eating habits Learn more about this large group of insects and how to manage them in the garden in this article…
