8 Common Pests That Can Damage Your Fruit Trees—and How to Get Rid of Them

Unfortunately, many pests love fruit trees and can easily damage leaves and spoil harvests. However, there are ways to get rid of these problematic visitors—without using harmful pesticides.

For example, inviting ladybugs, lacewings, and even spiders to your garden via companion planting can create a living pest control team that works alongside you. Ahead, we asked experts about common fruit tree pests and their tips for treating them naturally.

Codling Moth

“The larvae are the classic worm in the apple,” says Jaime Piñero, associate director and extension professor of fruit entomology at the University of Massachusetts. “They bore into fruit and destroy it from the inside.” (As seen in the photo above.)

Codling moths are drawn to developing apples, where they lay eggs that hatch into fruit-burrowing larvae. You’ll often spot entry holes filled with frass—sawdust-like droppings—and notice premature fruit drop.

Treatment and Prevention

Piñero recommends installing pheromone traps to monitor moth activity. Thinning fruit clusters can also reduce their favorite hiding spots.

Once you notice activity, apply kaolin clay early in the season to make surfaces less inviting. Remove and destroy any fallen, infested fruit.

For active treatment, a biological insecticide made from Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Bt) is a safe and effective option. Bt is a bacterium naturally found in soil that’s only toxic to caterpillars.

Timing is everything. Larvae must ingest the insecticide immediately after hatching, so you need to apply it shortly after the eggs hatch and repeat the application every 7 to 10 days or after it rains. For maximum effect, use it in the evening or when the weather is cloudy.

Apple Maggot

Apple maggot larvae will feed through the flesh of ripening fruit, leading to rot and collapse. They are particularly attracted to soft, mature fruit towards the end of the summer.

Treatment and Prevention

To help prevent infestations, hang red sphere sticky traps near fruiting trees. Piñero also recommends clearing fallen fruit regularly and harvesting trees promptly, as neglected fruit creates a breeding ground for pests.

You can encourage natural predators, such as ground beetles, by mulching and using cover crops. Planting insectary flowers around your orchard can also support beneficial insects.

Aphids

These small, soft-bodied pests feed on the sap of young shoots, often gathering in large numbers and causing new leaves to curl and twist. Piñero says they thrive on tender spring foliage. You’ll recognize them if you see deformed leaves, sticky residue, and ants.

Treatment and Prevention

Piñero suggests planting sweet alyssum to attract aphid-eating insects like ladybugs and hoverflies. Also, avoid over-fertilizing. It can cause too much soft growth, which attracts aphids.

If aphids appear, try spraying them off with a strong blast of water. For more persistent infestations, apply neem oil or insecticidal soap as a spot treatment.

San Jose Scale

San Jose scale is a small, yellow insect related to aphids that produces a protective waxy layer, making it hard to manage. Its natural enemies, like ladybugs or parasitic wasps, can help keep scale in check, as long as you don’t use any conventional insecticides that can harm them.

These pests use piercing/sucking mouthparts to extract sap, causing unattractive lesions on fruit. However, the real issue arises from scale bugs feeding on the trees themselves.

“Each female can have hundreds of offspring in her lifetime, so just a few San Jose scale can turn into thousands of tiny sap feeders in just a few generations,” Blaauw says.

An infestation can create significant stress for the tree, making it more susceptible to diseases and winter injuries.

Treatment and Prevention

If you spot San Jose scale—either on the bark or fruit—then apply horticultural oil during the fall or winter dormancy period. Thorough coverage is essential to smother them under their waxy coating.

Limiting the use of broad-spectrum insecticides can also protect beneficial predators, like ladybugs.

“Mix a few ounces of vegetable oil in water and spray the oil mixture directly on the scale,” adds Tom Burchell, president and CEO of Burchell Nursery. “The oil will form a film over the scale, suffocating it.”

Peachtree Borer

There are two species of this pest—the peachtree borer and the lesser peachtree borer. Both are native moths that resemble wasps. While they don’t feed directly on fruit, their larvae tunnel through the inner tissues of trees. 

“The peachtree borer attacks the lower trunk and roots, and the lesser peachtree borer attacks the upper trunk and scaffold limbs,” Blaauw explains. Over time, their feeding can weaken or kill a tree, especially if it leads to infections.

These borers mainly affect stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and plums. Apples face a similar problem with the dogwood borer.

Treatment and Prevention

Use entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), such as Steinernema carpocapsae, which can be applied to moist soil or mixed into gel and painted on limbs.

These microscopic, insect-killing worms are a safe and sustainable method for managing both peachtree borers and lesser peachtree borers.

Plum Curculio

Adult plum curculio lay their eggs directly into young fruit, where the larvae feed inside. When this happens, you may see crescent-shaped marks on the fruit’s surface and tunneling inside. Plum curculio tend to be active during early fruit production, especially in orchards close to the woods. 

Treatment and Prevention

Start with cleaning up dropped fruit and use trap trees with lures to monitor adult activity.

If adult weevils are found, then insecticides may be needed. Piñero notes that, unfortunately, this is the only option. For soil-dwelling pupae, you can apply beneficial nematodes to naturally reduce the population.

Stink Bugs

Stink bugs are a tricky pest that pierce the developing fruit of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and other fruits.

“Stink bugs, in particular the brown marmorated stink bug, can be devastating to tree fruit,” says Blaauw. These pests feed with piercing-sucking mouthparts, releasing enzymes that break down fruit cells so they can drink the juices.

Unfortunately, this causes the fruit’s surface to become sunken and rough, while the flesh inside hardens and becomes corky. In addition to looking unappealing, this fruit is also more vulnerable to rot and disease.

Blaauw notes that peaches are attacked throughout the season, while apples tend to become more appealing to stink bugs as they ripen.

Treatment and Prevention

Stink bugs are tough to manage, but physical barriers like fruit bags can provide effective protection. These mesh or paper bags prevent stink bugs and other pests from accessing developing fruit.

You can also hang safe stink bug traps in your trees to catch these pests before they cause too much damage.

Spider Mites

Spider mites can be particularly tricky during the hot summer months. They tend to infest fruit and branches, weakening the trees.

Treatment and Prevention

Since spider mites thrive in dusty environments, Burchell suggests regularly rinsing the tree branches and fruit with water. If you notice mite webs on new growth, simply spray them with water to disrupt their activity.