Apple blossom weevil: Alternative shelters for non-chemical pest control

The apple blossom weevil (Anthonomus pomorum) causes up to 90% fruit loss in organic orchards by feeding on developing buds (BBCH 53–55). A non-chemical control method uses 4–5 mm diameter PVC tying tubes as alternative shelters, installed on tree trunks from late May at 1 m height. Bundles of 10–20 tubes (14–20 cm long) are secured with cable ties and elastic bands. Weevils are trapped during summer, collected December–January, and stored in sealed bags to ensure mortality. Reuse is possible in May. Monitoring involves tapping branches in early spring; 5–10 weevils per 100 tapped branches triggers action. Pyrethrum may be applied early season if registered locally. The method is most effective in young orchards with smooth trunks, less so in older orchards with rough bark or existing tubes. Part of the EU-funded BIOFRUITNET project (2023), it reduces reliance on biological control agents and minimises crop damage.