What does it look like?
The Codling Moth is a small, speckled grey moth that primarily infests apple, pear, and walnut trees. The presence of larvae is often indicated by frass (insect droppings). During winter, the Codling Moth survives as a dormant caterpillar inside a cocoon, either beneath the tree bark or within the soil.
Why is it a problem?
The larvae of the Codling Moth burrow into fruit, leaving small entry holes that cause the fruit to be rejected for sale. This pest is especially significant as a quarantine threat in high-value Asian markets.
Control methods
In most orchards, the resident population of Codling Moth remains very low due to effective control measures like mating disruption and insecticides. Consequently, the number of moths immigrating from outside sources often exceeds the resident population. Removing external sources, such as wild or neglected apple trees, can significantly improve control efforts.
Codling moth is listed as a Sustained Control pest for phytosanitary purposes under the Hawke’s Bay Regional Pest Management Plan 2018-2038. This pest is subject to Plan Rule 19.
Related links
Management Programme
Sustained Control Programme
Sustained Control exists to hold well-established pests at an acceptable maximum. However, the costs of management and control grow in-step with the size of the invasive population. Because cost:benefit returns can fall to 1:5 or less, most of this work is focused on specific sites of high ecological value. While the spread of these pests between neighbouring properties remains the predominant risk, in some cases control within properties is still sought and warranted. A sustained control programme will hold populations to maximum acceptable limits over the period of the RPMP.
More informationUnwanted Organism
An unwanted organism is any organism that's capable of causing harm to natural or physical resources (like forests and waterways) or human health. A number of introduced pests in New Zealand are classed as unwanted.
Rules
Plan rule 19 Codling Moth
Occupiers of unmanaged pipfruit production sites shall, on receipt of a written direction from an Authorised Person, control [NAME] on their land if five (5) or more codling moths are caught in any one codling moth pheromone trap during any calendar week on their land.
