Insecticide Applications Based on Codlemone® Trap Catches vs. Automatic Schedule Treatments for Codling Moth Control in North Carolina Apple Orchard12

Abstract

During 1973–77, insecticide applications based on a trap catch within an apple orchard of >;2 moths/trap during 2 consecutive wk showed a significant reduction in treatments when compared to an automatic spray schedule for control of Laspeyresia pomonella (L.). The number of postbloom sprays for the automatic spray schedule ranged from 3–11, while the number of sprays for the trap catch program ranged from 3–6. Even with the variability in the number of sprays, the avg percent fruit damage by codling moth was not greater than 1%. Fruit damage by the codling moth was too low to correlate fruit damage with number of sprays. Variability of damage to the fruit by insects other than the codling moth was not associated with number of sprays. Lack of significant association between 3 or more postbloom insecticide sprays and fruit damage by insects indicated 3–4 postbloom sprays in most apple orchards in North Carolina would give economic insect control.