What's eating my sapodilla?

Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) is most troubled by the sapodilla bud moth and fruit flies that damage ripening fruit. Scale insects and mealybugs infest branches. Squirrels and birds take ripe fruit. Because sapodilla latex deters many pests, overall pest pressure is lower than for most tropical fruits, but fruit fly management remains the critical task.

Larvae bore into buds and young fruit; wilted shoot tips; frass at entry points Remove and destroy infested shoots; light mineral oil spray; targeted insecticide at bud-flush

Oviposition punctures in skin; maggots inside ripening fruit; soft rot and early drop Protein bait traps; fruit bagging; strict sanitation of fallen fruit

White cottony deposits or waxy shells on twigs; sooty mold on honeydew Horticultural oil; neem oil spray; prune dense canopy to reduce humidity