Apple maggots started emerging in Wisconsin orchards and will continue to do so for the next several weeks. Numbers are increasing and growers should consider monitoring by hanging at least three red sphere traps per ten acres or more if you have a history of high apple maggot pressure. Weekly monitoring includes counting and removing apple maggot flies and cleaning off the traps from debris and insects, and reapplying sticky coating to the trap regularly. If interested in trap-out as a strategy to manage apple maggot, Michigan State University recommends at least 400 traps per acre. Trap-out is recommended when relatively low populations are present and traps should be cleaned out about once a week.

For chemical control, the economic threshold for apple maggot is set at one fly per trap per week with unbaited traps or five flies per week on baited traps. Once you reach economic threshold, chemical treatment is advised and different products that can be used to manage apple maggot. While organophosphates, such as Imidan, provide excellent control of apple maggot and codling moth, there are other products with good activity and fairly long residual activity that could be considered in an IPM spray program. Below is a table of insecticides that provide activity against apple maggot and codling moth in apple. This table is an exert of an article by John Wise from Michigan State University.

Class (IRAC)	Trade name	Active ingredient	Life stage activity	Residual activity	Efficacy apple maggot	Efficacy codling moth
Organophosphates (1B)	Imidan	Phosmet	Adults, eggs and larvae	14+ days	Excellent	Excellent
Pyrethroids (3A)	Danitol	Fenpropathrin	Adults	7-10 days	Fair to good	Fair
	Baythroid	cyfluthrin	Adults	7-10 days	Fair to good	Fair
	Mustang Max	Zeta-cypermethrin	Adults	7-10 days	Fair to good	Fair
Spinosyns (5)	Entrust	Spinosad	Adults	7-10 days	Fair	Fair to excellent
	Delegate	Spinetoram	Adults	7-10 days	Fair	Fair to excellent
Neonicotinoids (4A)	Assail	Acetamiprid	Adults, eggs and larvae	10-14 days	Good to excellent	Good to excellent
	Belay	Clothianidin	Adults, eggs and larvae	10-14 days	Good to excellent	Good to excellent
	Admire	Imidacloprid	Adults, eggs and larvae	10-14 days	Good to excellent	Good to excellent
Mitochondrial Complex (21A)	Apta	Tolfenpyrad	Adults	10-14 days	Good	Excellent
Diamides (28)	Exirel	Cyantraniliprole	Adults	10-14 days	Good	Excellent

There are many other tradenames available, and we do not recommend these that are listed above other options. Product recommendations can be found in the Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide. Please be sure to fully read and follow the label before spraying any pesticide.

Happy growing season!

Reference: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/managing-apple-maggots-with-insecticides

This article was posted in Insects and tagged Apple maggot, Apples, Christelle Guédot, Insecticides, insects.