Ed:

Yes, footies would work against stink bugs. Where are you that the only insect problem you have on peaches is stink bugs? Here, oriental fruit moth is the biggest threat.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for the information. I would say my "biggest" problem is stink bugs, rather than my "only" problem. Stink bugs seem to have a reputation for being difficult to spray.

I am strictly a backyard grower, so I am very interested in the possibilities of the footie or zip-lock bag, since the volume of labor would be small.

I have just a few fruit trees: apple, peach, plum, and paw-paw. The stink bugs catface my peaches terribly (and my tomatoes, I am going to try those footies the tomatoes as well).

Ed.

Jellyman, I forgot to answer your question of "where". I am in Central TX, in the middle of suburbia. I back a greenbelt, so my least favorite neighbors in the summer are chiggers and stink bugs.

Ed.

Ed:

I hate the stinkbugs too. They are very destructive on such a wide variety of crops; squash and melons as well as tree fruits. I have at least 6 species of the xxxx things, some large, some small, and yes, I think they are harder to kill than moths. But on peaches and other stone fruits, oriental fruit moth remains my principal enemy.

Footies should stop them cold. Tie the footies tightly around the top of the fruits, whether it be tomatoes or peaches, with a single tie. If you tie a regular granny or square knot on top it is hell to untie, and it's not necessary.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Different things work and don't work for different folks but my attempt at using footies with peaches was a flop. The OFM drilled right through them; I have some nice pictures of the pectin glob coming out of the footie but not many good peaches. On the other hand, footies seemed to work as well as bags on apples and were easier to apply.

Billy:

I do not want to suggest a lack of care or attention on your part, but are you sure the peaches were not stung by the OFM before you installed the footies? I do my thinning and bagging in stages, with at least 3 bouts of thinning, followed by bagging the fastest-growing fruits. Meanwhile, I am also spraying the peaches with permethrin.

When I finally bag, I have to very carefully inspect each peach for spots of rusty or white mildew, or the little pinprick that indicates an OFM visit. When I can't clearly see both sides of the peach, which is often the case, I have to run my fingers carefully over the side I can't see to feel for the slightest rough spot, and peaches that have them come off.

In spite of the multiple thinnings and several sprays, I find signs of OFM at bagging time with fair frequency. After bagging, my peaches have been bulletproof, without a single instance of OFM penetration on 5 different trees, and, believe me, I have plenty of OFM around.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Your final sentence is pretty strong evidence. What I can say for sure is I have bagged fruit with no obvious (totally subjective) evidence of OFM and returned later to find large pectin oozes extending well out of the footie. Actually, I much prefer to believe you are right since I find the footies much easier to apply to peaches and I have a pretty good supply. You have convinced me to try again, although likely next year at this point in time. Thanks for the update.

Don,

I'm afraid I've got to side with Billy regarding footies and OFM. I sprayed twice with Imidan, then bagged with footies. No signs of insect damage for weeks, then all of a sudden today about half the nectarines have ooze through the footies and a small hole. Oddly this did not happen last year, though admittedly I had a much smaller number of fruit on the tree. I wonder whether it might have something to do with how tight the footies are on the fruit, possibly even rain wetting the bags and making them stick closer (it rained heavily last night) and thus easier for the OFM to get through the footies. So far so good, however, for the apples in their sandwich bags.

Austransplant:
Good information but I have tosay "Rats". I really prefered Don's answer but your "no damaqge for weeks" strongly suggests you bagged clean fruit. As for the tightness and rain, I don't see anything to prevent either, leaving me at a loss if I assume other things are similar including nectarines and peaches. Thanks for the input.

I put footies on my peach tree for the first time yesterday and I'm thinking there really is an art to it and wondering if I did it right.

Now that has me wondering. My problem with the peach relative to the apple is the really short leader from stem to fruit for the peach. Little room to tie the footie, leaves constantly in the way etc. I fought this for a while and then just stopped tying them at the "top" of the peach (often facing down making "top" a relative term). Anyway, those not tied were tight to the peach but I would not say very tight to the stem. Although they virtually never came off I wonder if they might have allowed the OFM access. Myabe this is more of an art than I realize.

Billy,

Don't try to tie the footies around the stem of the peach, but rather around the branch or larger twig the peach stem is attached to. As Jellyman has said on other posts, all you need is a simple granny knot -- in fact you'll find the hassle is not in keeping the footies on but getting them off. The thicker the branch the peach is attached to, the easier it is to tie the knot, and of course you can pull a few leaves off if necessary.

The OFM with my nectarines was laying eggs right through the footie, rather than getting inside it. I'd be interested to hear Jellyman's take on this. He gets good results with peaches, but I know he has despaired of getting an unblemished nectarine, and perhaps he has been having problems of the sort I've had. Certainly the fuzz on the peach skin would provide, together with the footie, a bit more of a barrier than the smooth nectarine skin does. Perhaps this is a signal that for those off us who would rather not spray a lot, we should be choosing peaches with pretty fuzzy and thick skins.

Incidentally, I have used the sandwich bags on apples, and things are going well here. I think they are much easier to attach to the apples than footies.
Check out some of the posts on bagging for this, and take note of Jellyman's comments on which sorts of sandwich bags to use (safeway or walmart house brands).

Billy:

It never occurred to me that you might be trying to tie the footies around the peach itself. The footie is tied tightly over the branch or twig the peach is attached to, so the length of the stem is irrelevant, in fact, the shorter the stem the better. Peaches do not fruit on very thick, older branches, so it is nearly always possible to do this. Before installing, stretch the footie a little, so that the bottom of the material is at the bottom of the peach, freeing up material above to form your tie. If there are leaves on the other side of the stem where you want to make your tie, take them off. The material is so stretchy it will grow with the peach even if it initially appears pretty tight.

It is not necessary to tie a granny knot, a square knot, or any real knot at all. Just a single tie, since the friction of the material will hold it tight, and there will be no entry points for insects.

Austransplant is correct that I have given up on growing nectarines here. Nectarines rot right on my trees, whether they have been visited by the oriental fruit moth or not. However, I can grow big, beautiful peaches.

Kandituft: I wouldn't call installing footies an art, but it's not really science either. However, you have to actually read the suggestions I have made and try to replicate them. You will get better at it with practice. If you just grab a footie and charge out to the orchard to tie it on without a clear idea of how to do it properly, you may repeat mistakes I have already made.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Don & austransplant: I understand what you are saying and actually tied the footies over the main stem as you describe between my attempts to tie directly to the peach and to not tie at all to anything. The latter was easiest, was no more likely to come off and appeared to have no larger opening at the top than to tie over the main stem especially when there were a floret of leaves in the way. The latter observation may be incorrect and your suggestion may be worth another attempt so long as the difference in the success of footies is between peaches and necterines. Obviously, if the OFM bores through the footie into the peach, it makes not on whit of difference how you tie the darn thing. Thanks to all for the incite and experiences

yes, thank you - I tied the footies around the peach stem instead of the branch knocking quite a few baby peaches onto the ground (good thing I thinned after I attempted to put on the footies and not before)