peach twig borer (almond shoot moth)

Symptoms

Wilted shoot tips (1–2cm of new growth) hanging limp, small entry hole with gum near the base, larvae visible inside split shoots, holes in the husk of developing kernels.

Plants affected

• almond

Easily confused with

• European brown rot / blossom blight

  How to tell them apart: Peach twig borer kills young shoots from the inside: look for a small entry hole near the tip, often with sawdust-like frass and gummy ooze, and a hollow, tunnelled centre when you split the wilted shoot lengthwise. The flagging shoot tip bends over ('shepherd's crook') and dies back only a few centimetres, while the rest of the twig stays green and healthy. There is no fungal browning of bark or blossoms — damage is mechanical boring, and you may find a small greyish-brown caterpillar inside. Brown rot twig blight kills shoots from the outside via infected blossoms: the wilted shoots show a sunken, brown, often gum-exuding canker at the base where the dead flower spur joined, and blighted blossoms cling to the twig. In humid weather, tufts of grey-buff fungal spore cushions erupt on the dead bark, blossoms and any mummified fruit — there is no entry hole, frass, or hollow tunnel inside the wood. The killed tissue is uniformly browned and the leaves stay attached, brown and shrivelled.

Common questions

How do I recognise peach twig borer (almond shoot moth) on almond?

Wilted shoot tips (1–2cm of new growth) hanging limp, small entry hole with gum near the base, larvae visible inside split shoots, holes in the husk of developing kernels.

Do I have to report peach twig borer (almond shoot moth)?

No. peach twig borer (almond shoot moth) is not a notifiable organism, so there is nothing to report to an authority. Treat it as a normal garden problem.

How is peach twig borer (almond shoot moth) treated?

Mainly with biological and cultural measures — removing affected material, changing the conditions that favour it, and treating with agents approved in your country. The exact steps and their timing depend on the plant, the season and where you live: Dr. Phyto works them out in a free diagnosis.