I recently had this issue where something is eating my leaves. My multigraft and new grafts are getting affected. Is it leaf miner, beetle, caterpillar? I have checked everywhere and I couldn’t find the culprit.
I’m thinking on spraying with insecticides but i have fruits that will ripen in 1-2 Months. I already placed tanglefoot to see if I can catch something. Any advice? Thank you.
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Do you have deer?
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If thats what you feel like you need to do. Thats what most of the FB groups will advise.
This is what i do though…
“There are several pests or groups of pests that feed on apple leaves. Most of these cause minor damage to the tree and are often best left alone. Many natural enemies feed on these pests.”
If its deer… you can buy sprays for those too…or put up fences.
You may have to use a flashlight to find what is doing it…some things eat leaves at night.
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We don’t usually have dear here in the area but my wife actually saw them on the road, i think they got lost and ended up here in the suburban. It is possible they are deer i thought right away it was insects. I’ll check if it gets worse or remains the same. Thanks!
Thanks for the advice. That’s why I ask here and not in FB hehe. It could be a dear which very rarely end up here in our suburban neighborhood.
not sure how big your orchard is but some folks have found some very interesting culprits that they never would have thought of by using a trail cam. Cheap investment sometimes.
If your trees are not fenced off, nocturnal animals may come and browse on leaves. Usually I find insects damage on leaves many clues like frass or the bug being present close by.
But I just realized you’re in CA, so your pests may be much different than in East Coast which is what I’m used to.