skip to main content

Gardening in the UK

apple tree wasps

20 years ago

Can someone please help,my apples are getting eaten by wasps

not sure what kind of wasps,but they are eating huge holes in them.

At first I was blaming birds but have caught them in the act they completely ignore hubby and me,act as though we are not there and just keep on munching.

Is there anything I can get to get rid of them,before they eat the lot.

Not sure what to buy as never grown apples before.

Thanks

May

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

mrs_tr3lly5
20 years ago
I think it is birds doing the original damage and the wasps are merely getting at the sugar that is in the fruit. You can't blame them for being attracted to ripe fuit can you?

Pick the ripe ones and the damaged and cut the damaged up as bird food. That will help a little.
wildroveruk
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks so much for your reply,I will pick off any that I think are ripe and try and stop them next year,dont know how yet but I will find a way.
They go on a diet next year lol.
Thanks Again
May.
Related Discussions
Giant wasps are eating my apples - HELP!
Q
Comments (3)
I don't know if it will work where Lucky is but I always use concentrated apple juice in wasp traps to get adequate control, but it takes a lot of traps- probably 6-8 for a tree of that size. We do get years where they swarm the entire lawn area but I still get my fruit. Most of the commercial traps come with a bait. As long as they require adding water to that bait you can replace their bait with a 1-3 ratio concentrate to water. Add citric acid to delay the turn to vinegar.
...See More
"Rooty" growths on 1 year old apple tree trunks. Apple Tree Gall?
Q
Comments (3)
I'm not an expert, so you will have to google it unless someone else chimes in. But those are aerial burr knots which m111 are prone to grow. My trees are 10 years old and they have outgrown them, I.e., it has not been an issue. No pun intended. I did have to battle knot borers but the latex paint wash at the base helped. It is less of an issue now as the trunks are bigger
...See More
Espalier apple tree vs dwarf apple tree - non espalier
Q
Comments (6)
Melissa, all apple trees from nurseries today are grafted to a root stock. It is the root stock that determines the size of the tree. An espalier tree is just the way the tree is trained to grow and not a type of tree. In your 4' x 25' area, with the right root stock, you could get as many as 6 apple trees planted 4' apart. We have semi-dwarf trees planted 4' apart in our tree rows (we have 17,000 trees in our orchard). In our retail nursery, we stock all dwarf and semi-dwarf trees and tell our customers what root stock they are getting. Most nurseries do not do that so you have no idea what size tree you might end up with. The most common dwarf root stock is Bud 9 or B9 and semi-dwarf is M26 or M9. If you contact Whiffletree Farm & Nursery, they can help you with the right trees for your situation. I know they grow a super-dwarf tree on M27 root stock that gets no taller than 6'-7'. Whiffletree is north of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Her is one of our tree rows planted to espalier on M26 root stock spaced 3' apart. We also have a 3,000 tree apple tree maze planted to espalier! Hope this helps!
...See More
Advice as to how to get 6 year old apple tree to leaf and grow apples?
Q
Comments (5)
Age of the tree should have no bearing on the ability to leaf out or flower, only on fruit production. Lack of a full siting will have the same effect - leaves and flowers, fine. Fruit production, not so much. Based on what can be seen, I think improper planting is most likely the problem.
...See More
flora_uk
20 years ago
You can still use holey apples for cooking, freezing, chutney or jelly.
ninecrow
20 years ago
Or This

APPLE BUTTER
4 lbs of apples (about 16 medium)
4 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Â¼ tsp ground cloves

Core, peel and quarter apples. Combine apples and 2 cups of water in a large saucepot. Simmer until apples are soft stirring often to prevent burning apples. Puree using a food mill or food processor being careful not to liquefy. Measure 2 quarts of apple pulp. Combine apple pulp, sugar and spices in a large saucepot. Cook slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot butter into hot jars leaving Â¼" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

This came from a friend of mine on another Message Board

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Add an Apple Tree to Your Edible Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Readily available, beautiful and fragrant, apple trees offer four-season interest along with crisp, juicy fruit

GARDENING GUIDES Meet the Grass-Carrying Wasp, a Gentle Pollinator of Summer Flowers

By Pollination Press LLC

These fascinating insects nest in wood cavities and hollow plant stems

GARDENING GUIDES Attract Thynnid Wasps With Summer-Flowering Native Plants

By Pollination Press LLC

These beneficial insects will hunt damaging beetle grubs in your lawn

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Crab Apple Trees Set Off a Stylish English Courtyard

A structure of pleached crab apple trees, bordered by a wildflower meadow, links a minimalist addition to an old house in Buckinghamshire

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Crazy for Fruit Trees

By Marianne Lipanovich

Whether a single citrus or a mini apple orchard, even the smallest landscape space can bear deliriously delicious fruit

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 8 Reasons to Plant a Great Tree

By June Scott Design

Beauty is its own reward, but the benefits of planting the right tree in the right place go way beyond looks

GARDENING GUIDES How to Keep Your Citrus Trees Well Fed and Healthy

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Ripe for some citrus fertilizer know-how? This mini guide will help your lemon, orange and grapefruit trees flourish

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 7 Great Trees for Summer Shade and Fall Color

By Tiffany Carboni

These landscape-pro faves straddle the seasons beautifully. Could one enhance your own yard?

EDIBLE GARDENS Why Grow Quince? For Beauty, Fragrance and Old-Time Flavor

By Marianne Lipanovich

Delightfully perfumed fruit and lovely spring blossoms make this apple and pear cousin worth a spot in the garden

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Fruit Tree ...

Juice up a small garden with one of these easier-care or worth-the-effort fruit trees for a mild climate

Sponsored

Snider & Metcalf Interior Design, LTD

25 Reviews

Leading Interior Designers in Columbus, Ohio & Ponte Vedra, Florida