A lot of my apples have a small hole or spot on them. Is this insect damage already?
Argh. How do i prevent this? Kaolin clay spray?
Yes it looks like insect damage. To protect the fruit from insects you can: do nothing, spray Surround, bag the fruit, spray an insecticide or do a combination of these things.
Do nothing- won’t work when the insects show up in numbers.
Spray Surround- Surround is a kaolin clay and is not an insecticide. The clay acts as protectant and repels insects. Bag the fruit- you place bags on the fruit when they reach dime size so insects can’t attack them. Depending on where you are and the insect species you may still have some damage because the insects will attack the fruit before it reaches dime size. You may have to spray once even if you bag because the fruit is vulnerable when it is too small to bag.
We have an organic spray guide and a synthetic spray guide on the forum.
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The damage is actually from plum curculio.
The second pic looked like a crescent moon, a signature entry wound of plum curculio.
However, there are several pest that like your apples. You should add your state to your profile. People near you may be able to share with you their knowledge about pest pressure in your area.
Surround will help deter PC but does not kill them. Timing of spray is also important. Around the time of petal fall, you need to start your first spray.
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