What's eating my almond 'nonpareil'?

Almond 'Nonpareil' is the industry benchmark variety and is highly susceptible to navel orangeworm, which enters nuts at hull split. Peach twig borer damages shoots and young nuts. Spider mites build up in hot, dusty conditions. Strict sanitation of mummy nuts over winter is the single most important management step.

Kernel destruction with webbing and dark frass inside split hulls; 'Nonpareil' early hull split makes it the most exposed almond variety to this pest Winter sanitation of all mummy nuts is essential; time harvest early at first hull split; pheromone traps; apply spinosad at hull split when trap counts exceed threshold

Spring shoot flagging (wilted tips) and summer entries into nut stems, leaving entry holes and gum Dormant oil spray in late winter; pheromone mating disruption; spinosad at bloom if populations were high prior year

Stippled, bronzed foliage in summer; heavy infestations cause early leaf drop reducing next year's fruit buds Preserve predatory mites with selective pesticide choices; dust roads adjacent to orchard to reduce dusty conditions; apply horticultural oil or sulfur if threshold exceeded