The Almond tree just like humans, is susceptible to disease. These diseases can bring also bring about there death, likewise with humans.
However, with the proper treatment and research you can save your tree.
Let’s discuss all you need to know about Almonds trees diseases, their causes and treatment.
What Insect Eats Almonds?
A natural opponent of agriculture is crop pests, and almonds are no exception. In almond orchards, a variety of predators and pests can be found.
Almond moth (Cadra cautella) is a small, stored-product pest. Almond moths infest flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits.
Aphids and scales are tiny sap sucking insects. They feed in colonies and cause yellow leaf spots, deformity in leaves and flowers.
Leafroller larvae have green bodies with black heads. They feed on almond tree buds just as they are opening.
Leaf footed bugs wear camouflage, leaf-like spurs on their hind legs to protect from predators. Like the almond loving ants, leaf footed bugs also feed on the nuts of the tree as they develop.
This can kill the developing seed. They also lay their eggs inside the nut hull which in turn develop abnormally.
Mites are pint size with many different colors, found on undersides of leaves.
Sap feeding causes bronzing of leaves. Severe infestations have some silken webbing.
Peach Twig Borer are adult moths that are gray in color and about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length.
Larvae are small brown caterpillars that tunnel into young shoots, killing terminal growth and nuts as they ripen.
Navel orangeworm (NOW) is the primary insect pest of almonds in California. It poses a high risk to an almond crop because the worms bore into the nut and feed on the nutmeat.
Not only is the nut damaged, but the feeding opens the door to Aspergillus molds, which can produce aflatoxins, a food safety contaminant. 1
What Is Eating My Almonds?
Insects as well as pests wreak havoc on almonds. Insects that consume pests near almond trees can also eat the tree’s foliage, blossoms, or fruit. Insects such as the following maybe eating your almonds.
- European earwigs do eat plant material including almond leaves as most growers would know, but they are also well known as general predators and feed on aphids, insect eggs, moth larvae and pupae.
- Transverse ladybird (Coccinella transversalis) feed on a range of small insects including moth eggs, small caterpillars, aphids and mites. This species, like many other ladybirds, also feeds on pollen when their preferred prey is in short supply.
- Red and blue beetle (Dicranolaius bellulus) Adult red and blue beetles eat eggs and small larvae of insects including moths, and also feed on pollen.
- Stethorus ‘Mite destroyer’ (Stethorus species). Adults and larvae of tiny Stethorus ladybirds are well known as predators of mites and mite eggs, hence their nickname ‘mite destroyer’. These predators are reported to feed on small insects, insect eggs, nectar and pollen when mites are scarce.
Do Almonds Have Bugs In Them?
Sometimes, bugs are found in almonds due to pest infestation. Navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella) is the primary insect pest of almonds in California. It poses a high risk to an almond crop because the worms bore into the nut and feed on the nutmeat.
Not only is the nut damaged, but the feeding opens the door to Aspergillus molds, which can produce aflatoxins, a food safety contaminant.
Also, adult Hemipteran pests damage fruits, leaves, and kernels, causing direct or indirect crop problems such as gummosis, nut drop, or fruit abortion. Hemipterans are known for their piercing-sucking mouthparts used for drinking liquids from either plant or animal host.
They insert their stylets into the host plant and inject toxic saliva that spreads into surrounding tissue.
How Do I Get Rid Of Almond Moths?
Although almond moths can not spread diseases, bite, or sting, they can contaminate food products, resulting in a loss of profit for businesses and homeowners who are unable to utilize the product after purchasing it.
You must first confirm if you are dealing with Almond Moths before beginning a treatment program. Inaccurate identification might lead to the use of the incorrect treatment procedure, resulting in a waste of time and money.
Adult almond moths are usually gray with a wingspan of about 0.5 to 0.75 of an inch. Their wings are brownish- or blackish-gray with the wing base lighter than the wingtip. Fully-grown Almond moth larvae are cream-colored and have stripes.
It is during this larvae stage that almond moths do the most damage. Female Almond moths lay between 200 to 400 eggs which are as small as the head of a pin and once hatched, almond moth larvae will begin to ravage food around them.
Items contaminated by the almond moth usually have a silk-like webbing left behind.The most effective way to get rid of an Almond Moth infestation is to completely empty your pantry and remove any stored dried food products. After a thorough cleaning and vacuuming, you’ll essentially have to start over in your pantry.
Applying Pyrid Aerosol and Novacide Aerosol to kill any remaining Almond Moths and to prevent the development of eggs and larvae. A final measure would be to place Pro-Pest Pantry Moth and Beetle Traps to capture any surviving Almond Moths. 2
Is My Almond Tree Dead?
Almond trees can perish as a result of many factors which include pest infections,improper culture care, such as irrigation. Irrigation failure during the early months of bud and leaf growth might result in death.
Almond trees can potentially die from a lack of water or over-watering.
Hull rot, a fungal disease spread by the wind, affects trees that receive too much water and fertilizer.
Why Did My Almond Tree Die?
A variety of conditions might cause an almond tree to die, but the most common cause is fungal disease.
Hull rot afflicts trees that are over-watered or over-fertilized. For commercial growers, the disease is most often the result of improper harvest or shaking too soon after rain or irrigating.
Shot hole disease attacks almonds late in the growing season and manifests as small, black lesions on the leaves. Lesions can also affect nuts, and while they are unattractive, they have no effect on the flavor.
Monolina fructicola is the fungus that causes brown rot flowers and twig blight. The earliest signs of almond disease in this case are withered and dropped flowers. Then there is the death of the twigs. This disease not only damages the tree over time, but it also reduces crop yield.
Another fungal ailment that spreads during the early, chilly spring rains is anthracnose. Both blooms and developing nuts are killed by it. Anthracnose can also kill entire branches by causing them to defoliate and die.
Do Almond Trees Need Pesticides?
Pesticides are frequently used to protect almond trees from various diseases while they are in bloom. Fungicides and insecticides are commonly sprayed on almond trees by farmers.
What Pesticides Are Used On Almond Trees?
Growers use a variety of insecticides on almond orchards throughout the year, but primarily in the spring. Many of these compounds are quite hazardous if handled wrong, which is why they are subject to so many restrictions and regulations.
Do You Have To Spray Almond Trees?
A proper and consistent spray schedule is important to the survival of your trees. Read this article to learn how to properly an almond tree.
Citations Used In This Article
- Almond Pest Control – Recognizing Almond Tree Pest Symptoms (gardeningknowhow)
- Understanding Almond Moths (orkin.com)
