Apple trees are among the most commonly cultivated fruit trees in the home garden. Unfortunately, many pests also target the trees. In this article we will clarify which animals you can recognize by yellow eggs and whether they need to be fought.
Where do yellow eggs on apple trees come from?
Yellow eggs on the apple tree usually come from theladybirdor theweb moth. But it couldn't be the case with the small dots It is not a clutch of eggs, but rather the spore pads of Monilia fruit rot or the fungal spores of apple rust.
Are bright yellow insect eggs dangerous for the apple tree?
Since ladybirds are one of themost important beneficial insects in fruit growing, you can be happy if you find the bright yellow clutches of these insects on the underside of the leaves of your apple tree.
A female ladybird lays up to 400 eggs between the end of April and the beginning of May. It takes about ten days for the gray larvae of the beetles to hatch. They are incredibly voracious and are therefore also called aphid lions. In the three weeks before pupation they eat up to 600 aphids.
How do I recognize the eggs of the web moth?
Theyellowish-whiteClutches of the web moth are typically arranged likeroof tiles. The female places them, covered with a gradually hardening secretion, in the July or August on the young shoots near the buds.
The larvae hatch in the same year, but do not eat at first, but hibernate under the secretion layer. In spring they begin to form the characteristic webs, which can cover the entire tree if the infestation is severe.
Does Monilia fruit rot look like yellow eggs on an apple tree?
It is typical for this plant disease that the yellowspore deposits move like small eggs over a rotting, brown area of the apple. The dots form concentric circles that gradually spread over the entire fruit. Leathery fruit mummies are formed that are covered with yellowish pustules.
You should consistently remove fruit infected by Monilia and dispose of it with household waste, as they could still infect he althy apples.
Can apple rust be confused with yellow insect eggs?
The apple rust formsorange-yellow,slightly raisedpustules,which are due to theirsmall sizecould definitely be confused with insect eggs. In contrast to these, however, they are located on the upper side of the leaf, while dark spore beds form on the underside.
The pests (Pucciniales) are very stubborn. Therefore, pluck off individual, affected leaves, cut back more severely diseased shoots and dispose of the plant parts as well as the leaves that have fallen to the ground with household waste.
Tip
Pest or beneficial insect – take a close look before combating it
There is hardly an apple tree that doesn't have to struggle with diseases or pests at some point. For this reason, you should always check the tree thoroughly so that you can react in a timely manner. It is also important to be able to distinguish between the clutches of beneficial insects and those of harmful insects. If in doubt, please consult a specialist.