There are lots of problems with codling moth here too, and I think the
full-coverage kaolin spray called "Surround" is pretty effective against
them. But even though Surround is non-toxic, non-chemical, and has had
many good reports, I have not tried it yet.
Instead, I run two 40 watt black light traps in the orchard at night,
all summer long. Mine are manufactured by the Stinger Co., and cost
about $40 each. Coverage of each trap is estimated at about 1/2 acre.
These traps eliminate a whole lot of moths, but exactly how many are
codling moths I cannot say, since most insects can't be accurately
identified once they been through the high voltage. But I also have a
lot of trouble with oriental fruit moth on stone fruits, and I don't
know of any beneficial moths, so I figure the best moth of any sort is a
dead one. The traps also kill a lot of night-flying, leaf-chewing
beetles. I hang the lights from tree branches with S-hooks made from
No. 9 wire, and move them around once in a while.
Of course, this is only practical where you have an electrical source
close enough that you can reach the trap with an extension cord. It is
a bit of a chore to roll up the cords when the time comes to mow. And
every evening I have to plug them in, and unplug in the morning. But I
am pretty well convinced that codling moth damage on my apples has been
sharply reduced. And if you don't like moths, the traps make a
satisfying frying sound as the moth goes to his eternal reward.
Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
[NAFEX] Idaho Codling Moth,
Don Yellman, 12/12/2002