Scientific Name: (Cydia pomonella)
The codling moth is a Lepidopteran that belongs to the Tortricidae family in the genus Cydia. They’re the significant pests of pome and stone fruits. Usually, the larvae of codling moths puncture fruit skins to enter the pulp. Ultimately, they reach the seminal chamber and retard the growth of the fruit. The result is a retarded growth, deformed, and ugly-looking fruits that could drop prematurely. Often, highly affected fruits are apples and pears besides, potential damages to cherries, apricots, plums, and peaches. They are extensively distributed throughout the world that cause considerable yield losses when presented above an economic threshold level. Additionally, they're quite diverse in adopting different environmental conditions that make them one of the most destructive pests of apples and other stone fruits in the home gardens throughout the US.
Origin and Distribution
There are no significant proves about the true origin of codling moths. However, it is assumed that they originated from the Mediterranean or Europe. Their introduction to the US climate was firstly reported in the mid of 17th century. Similarly, it is also unclear how these creatures spread throughout the world. Were they spread by the humans? or it was their climate adaptation that provided them anchorage both, in South and North America up to an elevation of about more than 5000 feet to damage plants. They're now the big nuisance for stone fruits growers in the home and commercial farming in the entire United States.
Codling Moth- Identification
Codling moth adults with mottled gray wings remain less than half an inch long. Their wings represent a tent-like structure over their bodies. Often, they adopt the color of the tree bark where they live and hence are difficult to detect at first sight. The only distinctive feature in adult codling moths is a dark coppery brown band at the wingtips. The larvae are like worms ranging from white to light pink, while they could only be found once a cross-section of the affected fruit is made. A dark brown head is also visible during the larval stage. Orange-headed Codling moths can also be found in walnuts where they make extensive webbing within the fruit shell.
Codling Moth- Lifecycle
Codling moth larvae develop thick silken cocoons before it overwinters under plant debris, in the crevices of the tree bark, or the soil. The pupation takes place within the cocoons during early spring, and moths may emerge in late spring. The moths become active for a few hours just before and after the sunset when the temperature exceeds 62°F, and their mating also takes place during this period. After mating, each female moth lays about 50 eggs on the nuts, fruit skin, or leaves. Hatching takes place here, and larvae seek a fruit to bore into it. After completing all developmental stages, fully grown larvae drop out of fruit for pupation either in the soil or plant debris or cracks in the tree bark. The rate of development could vary with both temperature and humidity. Usually, in colder areas, they could produce only one generation in a year. Otherwise, a hot and humid climate could produce four generations per year.
Symptoms and Types of Damage
Codling moths use contact reflex while searching their food and travel towards the light as most fruits develop at places that are well exposed to direct sunlight. This action brings them closer to fruits, and they puncture the epidermis, initially. Once the codling moths are inside the fruit, they excrete their frass and molted skin parts at the point of their entrance that blocks it. It takes almost one hour to bore and cap that entrance that saves them from predators and insecticides. The caterpillar reaches the seminal chamber of the targeted fruit and chews the seeds retarding the growth and development of the fruit. Ultimately, the fruit ripens immaturely and falls prey to several funguses and bacteria that lead to rotting. Usually, codling moths continue feeding for almost 3 or 4 weeks that can potentially harm one or two fruits during this period. Often, the affected fruit falls from the tree which is deformed, infested, or rotted causing significant losses to the growers.
Where do the Codling Moths come from?
The presence of codling moths in a garden is dependent on the temperature and humidity together. Their pervasiveness is more prevalent under an optimum temperature of about 89.6°F and 75% humidity. Even if the temperature remains optimum, extreme variation in humidity levels can check pupation. However, the larva becomes inactive when the temperature touches 32°F. Whenever such type of conditions prevails in your garden, look for the codling moths keenly on soft tissue for their tunneling patterns. The codling moths don't come from anywhere in your garden space. Here are the conditions that favor them to reproduce.
How to Prevent Codling Moths?
How to Control Codling Moths?
Biological Control
Nature's Good Guys- 10,000 Trichogramma Eggs
In a farming field or garden situation, low infestations of caterpillars are achievable through releasing Trichogramma eggs which, are commercially available by this manufacturer. An augmented release of Trichogramma eggs hatches readily on receiving adaptable conditions in a garden. These wasps enter the eggs of Lepidopteran and lay eggs there. The Trichogramma eggs speedily hatch into a larva that feeds on the eggs of codling moths. After initial growth in a week or 10-days, an adult Trichogramma emerges from the moths' egg and results in the killing of codling moths, in the majority of fruits other than apples.
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10000 Trichogramma eggs are enough to release on 1000 square feet area.
Organic Control
Green Light Lawn & Garden Insect Killing Spray
This killing spray contains 0.5% Spinosad, with a mixed formulation of Spinosyn A, and Spinosyn D in a ready-to-use spray. Spinosad is safe for Vegetables, fruits, and microgreens, and gardeners can spray it freely on edible plants. This product also complies with all specifications of organic gardening and is listed in OMRI, as well. Overall, Spinosad targets several species of chewing, sucking, and boring insect pests that damage crops worldwide.
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a 32-ounces bottle concentrate cover over 5,000 square feet of codling moths affected area.
Azera-Gardening 8-oz, Botanical Dual Action Insecticidal Concentrate 
Azera Insecticidal Concentrate contains 1.20% Azadirachtin and 1.40% Pyrethrins, and both insecticides work through ingestion and direct body contact while killing larval, pupal, and adults of the targeted insects including, Codling moths, aphids, and whiteflies. Azadirachtin is safe for bees and other pollinators whereas, Pyrethrins could harm them. This combination needs repeated spraying when the plants are growing actively. This product also meets the requirements of the National Organic Program and is listed in OMRI. Both active ingredients originate from botanical sources, and their breakdown occurs quite easy when exposed to rain or sunlight.
- OMRI listed, and meets USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) requirements
- Perfect for a Personal Garden, Organic Gardening, and Production
- Kills larval, pupae, and adult stages of listed insects, including aphids, ants, flies, and beetles
Azera-Gardening Botanical Insecticide uses 1 to 2 ounces of concentrate per gallon of water to kill targeted pests.
Natural Control
Bonide -Thuricide Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt)
BT is bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis, and its Kurstaki strain helps control codling moths' larva. BT is a naturally occurring bacterium that is found in the soil. Bonide BT is a 15% kurstaki species containing almost 6 million viable spores per milligram of Bacterium concentrate. After it is ingested in the bodies of the insects, BT lives and multiplies liberating spores of toxin crystals. These crystal toxins stick to the gut wall of the insect, tear them apart, which results in the death of the moths within 3 to 5 days of application.
- Protect your oasis with Captain Jack's Bt Thuricide Concentrate; this product controls cabbage looper, hornworms, tent caterpillars and more
- Protects fruits, vegetables, shade trees and ornamentals; designed for use on broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, eggplant, pepper, melons, tomatoes, cabbage, and more
- Kills worms and caterpillar stage insects while causing no harm to birds, earthworms, or beneficial insects, such as honeybees and ladybugs; this product kills by ingestion, after ingesting, bugs immediately stop feeding and will die within 2-3 days
Add 2-4 teaspoons of BT per gallon of water and spray using a hand sprayer on the foliage.
Chemical Control
Gulfstream-Sevin Ready-to-Use Bug Killer 
It contains 0.126% of Carbaryl is ready-to-use chemistry that targets the majority of garden insect pests that harm your edible gardens. Carbaryl belongs to the Carbamates class of insecticide that disrupts the normal functioning of the nervous system of the insects that may cause toxic effects by direct contact or ingestion. The application of Carbaryl on codling moths accumulates acetylcholine in the nervous system of the insects, and over-deposition stimulates the insects, resulting in hydrolysis. Hydrolysis leads to the death of the targeted pests including, codling moths.
it’s a ready-to-use formulation that needs only pointing the sprayer on the foliage of the plants followed by pulling a trigger.
Check out our other guides on common garden bugs.