The disease begins at bloom. Infected flowers wilt and turn brown very quickly. Spores from infected flowers and cankers infect aborting fruit and healthy green fruit during long wetness periods. Infected, aborted fruit remain attached in the tree and provide an additional source of spores for more infections instead of dropping off in a normal fashion. Infections in apparently healthy green fruit remain inactive until the fruit begins to ripen.
Fruit rot starts with a small, round brown spot, which expands to eventually rot the entire fruit.
Infected fruit turns into a mummy on the tree. In the fall remove all dried fruit mummies from the tree, since this is where the fungus survives the winter. Fungicides are usually required if fruit ripening occurs during a period of warm, wet weather. It is important to begin spraying just before the fruit begins to ripen. Look for the first tinge of change in the yellow background color.