Here are three things that seem to work in reducing guava moth numbers significantly.
So if, like me, you have feijoas or peaches or any other fruit tree and you’re having a problem with guava moth, try these suggestions. I’ve spoken to several people in my community who have been also having problems and the combination of these three strategies really seems to work :o)
Strategy One
Put pheremones in trees – Asian Peach Moth (PFM 80798 Shinkuicon-L) – you can buy packs of 250 ties from Fruit Fed (originally from Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Ltd., Japan). Tie one tie per tree (with a ribbon so you don’t lose it and accidentally prune it off!) in the top branches on the southern side of the tree and around the perimeters of your orchard. I just tied them on when I bought them (so I can’t recommend a particular time of year). Each tie should last 12-14 months though (and you may need to find other growers to share that number of ties with to make it cost effective).
Strategy Two
Hang a mixture in cut-off milk bottles in your trees to catch existing moths; the moths should be attracted to it and then drown in it. Take 1 litre of boiling water, add 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp marmite and 1 tsp ammonia (e.g. Handy Andy). Mix the ingredients and dissolve then allow to cool. Cut a flap into the side of the milk bottle with the hinge at the bottom, so you can push the flap inwards. Hang up in your tree with baling twine and refill as necessary
Strategy Three
Pick up diseased fruit and freeze (before putting in the compost). The larvae pupate in the fruit so it is really important to pick up any fruit off the ground and dispose of it. You can’t just put it into your compost, as the larvae will just continue to grow, so you need to either freeze the fruit first (for at least 24 hours) or feed it to livestock (like pigs) who will eat the fruit and larvae all up.
Good luck!
Freezing the diseased feijoas for 24 hours minimum? I will try that. Now I put the diseased feijoas into buckets of water. Is one week enough to drown and kill the larvae? Then the whole bucket of rotting diseased feijoas can be added to the compost heap. Hope this works. Rubbish is reduced, and the diseased fruits can be used in my garden as compost. Guava moth is quite widespread in Auckland now.
Hi Keith
Thanks for your comment.
I’m sure drowning the larvae is as good as freezing them. The main thing is that they don’t go into the compost as they are or just stay on the ground under the trees. We are just harvesting our feijoas now and are seeing an improvement in guava moth levels but we are not quite there yet! Good luck! Best wishes Deb
My friend microwaves any infested fruit for about a minute or 2, to kill any bugs or larvae. It makes the kitchen smell fruity, but it’s quick, easy and convenient 🙂
Thanks for your excellent idea! Best of luck with your feijoa harvest, Deb
Has anybody had any luck with underplanting loads of strong smelling plants and flowers? Peppermint geranium, lemon balm, cat mint, pineapple sage, calendula, thyme. Etc etc.
Interesting idea! My feijoas quite low-growing though and I often have to scrabble about on the ground to collect them. I’m not sure your idea would work for me therefore, although I’d love to have undamaged fruit again!
I have tried to source the pheromone strips mentioned in the article from Fruit Fed (Wrightsons comes up as a result),, but they don’t appear to stock them.
Anyone else you know of who carries these and what are they called exactly?
Thanks
Ava
Hi Ava Sorry I am travelling overseas at the moment so can’t help I’m afraid. Best of luck Deb