What's eating my almond 'marcona'?

Almond 'Marcona' is a Spanish-origin round almond grown in California and the Mediterranean. Navel orangeworm and peach twig borer are the primary nut and shoot threats. Aphids colonize new growth in spring. In Mediterranean climates, olive fruit fly can sometimes wander onto almonds but navel orangeworm remains the dominant threat.

Larvae inside split hulls eat kernels, filling the nut with webbing and frass; 'Marcona' thick hull offers some protection but is not immune Remove all mummy nuts by February; harvest promptly at hull split; pheromone traps to time sprays; spinosad or pyrethroid at hull split if needed

Larvae bore into growing shoot tips in spring, causing wilting; later broods attack nut stems Dormant spray with oil plus Bt or chlorpyrifos (commercial); pheromone mating disruption; remove flagged shoots promptly

Curled new leaves in spring with sticky honeydew coating; sooty mold follows, reducing photosynthesis Water jet to dislodge; insecticidal soap; preserve natural predators; avoid excessive nitrogen that encourages soft growth