What's eating my almond 'fritz'?

Almond 'Fritz' faces its worst threat from navel orangeworm, which infests the nuts. Peach twig borers tunnel into new shoots, while shot-hole borers damage bark. Aphids colonize new growth in spring. Birds and squirrels raid ripening nuts. Scout regularly from hull split onward and use pheromone traps.

Larvae enter nuts through hull splits, leaving webbing and frass inside; infested kernels are unsaleable Harvest promptly at hull split; remove mummy nuts over winter; pheromone traps for monitoring; Bt or spinosad sprays timed to egg hatch

Young larvae bore into shoot tips causing flagging; later generations enter developing nuts Dormant-oil spray in late winter; mating-disruption dispensers in larger plantings; spinosad at pink-bud stage

Curled, sticky new leaves; honeydew encourages sooty mold on foliage and young shoots Encourage lacewings and parasitic wasps; strong water jet; insecticidal soap for heavy infestations

Nuts stolen or partially eaten before and at harvest; partially gnawed hulls left on tree Netting over smaller trees; harvest as soon as hulls split; scare devices with regular repositioning