What's eating my almond 'all-in-one'?

Almond 'All-in-One' is threatened by navel orangeworm and peach twig borer, which destroy nuts and shoots. Aphids and spider mites affect foliage. Birds and squirrels take ripening nuts. Navel orangeworm is the most economically destructive pest of almonds across California and wherever this variety is grown.

Larvae enter nuts through the hull split, consuming the kernel and leaving webbing and frass; infected nuts are unmarketable Complete sanitation — remove all mummy nuts from tree and ground before February; time harvest to minimize hull-split period; pheromone traps to monitor flight peaks; apply a registered insecticide at hull split if trap counts are high

Overwintering larvae bore into new shoot tips in spring (flagging); later generations enter developing nuts through the stem end Dormant-season spray of oil + Bt or spinosad targets overwintering larvae; pheromone mating disruption effective in larger orchards; prune and destroy flagged shoots

Colonies on new shoots cause leaf curl and honeydew that promotes sooty mold; stress new grafts significantly Encourage natural predators (ladybugs, lacewings); strong water spray dislodges colonies; insecticidal soap if heavy; avoid nitrogen excess that drives soft shoot growth

Chew into green hulls weeks before harvest; birds peck through hulled nuts; can take 10–30% of a backyard crop Net smaller trees; harvest as early as hull split allows; physical deterrents (reflective tape, owl decoys) offer short-term relief