Q: Ken please help, all my ripe plums this year have been attacked by a small maggot and I would like to know what it is and how to deal with it. Note only the ripe plums seem affected, it is a very small maggot and leaves a nasty brown area around the stone. no evidence of entry and only when plum is split do you know its there. Ruined crop this year. many thanks if you can help. great Saturday programme try to listen most weekends.
A: It’s a moth that lays its eggs at the time of blossom set and you will need to use a pheromone trap in your plum tree at the first sign of the blossom. This will be the best method for eradicating the moth from laying her eggs at the base of the young plums.
