A frequent ‘pest’ to the Victoria plum in our garden smallholding is the plum moth, the larvae are quite partial to Victoria and Czar varieties. Brown poops (frass) are usually the first thing you’ll see when you slice open a plum troubled by plum moth, the adult moth lays eggs on the fruits in summer and the pink caterpillars burrow in and have a jolly good time eating, pooping and growing. The fruit drops to the floor earlier than usual and this is where the next cycle of life begins.
I’m an organic veg gardener. I don’t spray my fruit trees or anything else with nasty chemicals and I like to think I’m pretty tolerant with a live and let live attitude to most things, but let’s face it, nobody wants to munch on caterpillars (or their poops) so I hope my photos help with identification of a plum problem that may crop up from time to time.
To keep plum moth under some sort of control (organically) I collect fallen fruit regularly from directly under the tree and pile the fruit elsewhere in the garden, allowing the chickens to enjoy them as they free range. The local wood pigeon population enjoy a nibble, late butterflies and pollinators such as bees and wasps appreciate the sugary boost as the weather turns cooler. Pheromone traps are another way to control plum moth without the use of pesticides.
Filed under: Pests & Diseases Tagged: plum moth, plum moth larvae, plum pest, problem with plums
