Optimal Conditions
Late spring is when the moths hatch and begin to lay their larvae on the tree's leaves or new fruit
Signature
Brown holes and frass (reddish-brown droppings) on the outside of the fruit. If you cut it open you will find these droppings on the inside of the fruit as well. Shallow entries called 'stings' result when larvae die inside and can appear as a small bruise with a hole.
Prevention
Do some winter maintenance, tidy trees by scraping off dead bark and removing fallen leaf matter from the base of the tree. This drastically limits the places where cocoons can develop and kills off over-wintering populations.
Use pheromone lures to attract beneficial insects like ladybirds or by planting insectary plants such as flowers, mustard, clover, dill, and coriander.
Coping
There can be up to three generations per fruiting season, so once you detect damage, you can still do a lot to prevent further infestation. Cut off all affected fruit as soon as it shows signs of stings (as well as fallen fruit) and dispose of it in the rubbish bin (not compost). Search the leaves, limbs, and bark for oval shaped eggs, larvae or cocoons.
Wrap cardboard or a band of hessian cloth around the trunks of trees to lure out larvae as they look for places to pupate (make cocoons). Check these traps regularly and destroy any critters that have formed.
Eradicating
Spray trees with a solution of white oil and water (dilution 1:50) in the spring to prevent eggs from hatching. You can continue to spray weekly throughout fruiting. This combined with good preventive habits and paying close attention to fruiting trees should be enough to prevent an ongoing issue for most gardeners.
