Monitoring should continue until first injury is detected and then an insecticide should be applied. If pressure from plum curculio has been negligible in past years, a border spray consisting of spraying the outer 15 metre perimeter of the orchard is sufficient. If there is a history of problems or pressure in the current year is high a full cover spray may be necessary. On rare occasions, if emergence is particularly extended, a second insecticide application may be necessary 10-15 days after the first application. There are few effective cultural or biological control.
Regular winter pruning to open up the canopy facilitates optimal spray coverage.
Some research suggests that plum curculio may be attracted to fresh pruning cuts. Pruning should be completed prior to significant green tissue development to allow pruning cuts to heal over. This information is provided as a public service, but we cannot guarantee that the information is current or accurate. Readers should verify the information before acting on it.