These feeding punctures do not heal. They appear as small, dark-brown cavities which may permit the entrance of decay organisms. Causal factors Adult plum curculios are small, hard-shelled beetles with long snouts. They hibernate in trash in orchards or in brushland or wasteland nearby and begin to return to the apple trees about the time these come into bloom. Many of the larvae in the fruits are killed by the pressure of the rapidly growing tissues, but enough of the larvae survive in fallen fruits to maintain the infestation.
Control measures Plum curculio is controlled by spraying.
The spray program should follow the recommendations of the State agricultural experiment station or extension service. 1100 N. Western Ave.