Prevention being better than cure is the name of the winter game against nasty garden predators of all shapes and sizes, and doing the job organically beats toxic chemical intervention every time. Take fruit tree for instance: season after season, crops of luscious fruit, especially apricots, guava and loquat, are wiped out by deadly worm infestation which renders them completely inedible. The chemical sprays some desperate gardeners turn to as a last resort do nothing to stem the rot as, once these worms – they are actually the larvae of fruit flies – make their presence known, it is too late for any effective form of eradication.
The answer, as is often the case, of organic prevention, and it should be introduced right now. All fruit trees, whether they have previously come under worm attack or not, should be treated to what are called ‘grease bands’. These bands can be made with jute, sugar or vegetable sacks, cut into wide strips measuring between six to nine inches, thickly pasted with gooey, greasy stuff – viscous engine oil, the grease applied to vehicle bearings or even used frying fat, are all ideal. Once coated with grease on one side only, these strips should be firmly tied – with strong string and not potentially damaging wire – around each tree trunk, approximately two to three feet above the ground.
From December to February From December to February, female fruit flies, then at the crawling, not flying, stage head for their favorite fruiting trees, creep up the trunks and patiently wait for fruit to form. As soon as they can penetrate the fruit skin, they drill in and lay the egg which will hatch into the larval worms which infest and totally destroy the crop. Grease bands work by trapping the female fruit flies in the sticky mess, preventing them from going about their deadly work. Changing the grease bands once a month over this crucial three-month period helps to ensure that your fruit crop goes unharmed!
By B Khan