Keep Worms From Eating My Peaches

Q: Do you have any suggestions to keep the worms from eating my young peaches? I have honeybees nearby.

A: Plum curculio is a small “snout beetle” that attacks peaches and plums. Adults overwinter in debris near a tree and emerge in spring. The female lays her eggs in small wounds she carves in the fruit. You can often see a clear gum oozing out afterwards. These insects are active primarily at night. Once the eggs hatch, they feed inside the fruit, leading folks to say they find “worms”. Organic control of plum curculio is almost impossible. I recommend you apply a bee-friendly fungicide like Daconil or Captan twice every spring, once when most petals are open and once when most have fallen. When you see tiny green fruit after flowers are gone, apply a fruit tree insecticide spray according to label instructions. Destroy all blemished fruit. Do not leave any on the ground.