What's eating my jackfruit?

Jackfruit's most damaging pests are shoot-and-fruit borers (Diaphania caesalis) and trunk borers (Batocera rufomaculata) — borers can girdle branches or destroy developing fruit. Fruit flies lay eggs in ripening flesh. Aphids and mealybugs appear on young growth. Regular pruning, cultural sanitation, and bagging young fruit are the key management approaches.

Larvae bore into young shoots, causing wilting and die-back; also tunnel into developing fruit. Prune and destroy wilted shoots promptly; apply appropriate insecticide at first sign of entry holes.

Larvae bore deep into trunk and large branches leaving frass-packed tunnels; can kill major limbs. Remove frass and inject kerosene or insecticide paste into bore holes; seal with Bordeaux paste; cut out severely infested wood.

Eggs laid in ripening fruit; larvae cause internal rot and render fruit inedible. Use methyl eugenol or protein-bait traps; bag fruits individually as they develop; remove fallen fruit.

Cottony clusters or soft colonies on new growth and flower spikes; honeydew and sooty mold. Neem oil or insecticidal soap spray; exclude ants with trunk banding.