How do worms attack cherries?
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![\"white](\"https:\/\/www.santeplusmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cerise-011.jpg\" "\\"Worm-infested")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhite worm on cherry. source: spm<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cherry tree is an evergreen fruit tree with deciduous foliage. Its fruits, with a sweet and sour taste, are fleshy and rich in vitamin C. Cherries can be eaten […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice"],"yoast_head":"\n
The harvest and tasting of cherries can be spoiled by tiny maggots. The latter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0are just the larvae of two flies:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0one called Rhagoletis cerasi, and another, smaller one, called Drosophila suzukii or cherry fly. Between May and July, these mosquitoes fly around cherry trees and feed on their sweet secretions, especially during the hours of full sun. They pierce the skin of the cherries\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and lay their eggs there.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Females of Rhagoletis cerasi lay their eggs about 10 days after first fledging, especially when it is hot. The eggs are laid under the skin of red cherries. The larvae appear after 10 days\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and feed on the pulp of the cherries.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0As for females of Drosophila suzuki, they lay their eggs in ripe and healthy cherries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Late or mid-late cherry varieties are the most commonly attacked by the white grub. Early varieties, on the other hand, mature before the flies begin their first flight\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and remain intact.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cherries infected with these pests rot quickly. And for good reason: when the flies pierce their skin to lay their eggs, various bacteria and fungi infiltrate the skin of these fruits,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0which then become unfit for consumption.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please note that while the fly Rhagoletis cerasi only attacks cherry trees, Drosophila suzukii targets all fruits\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0with soft pulp.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0This includes cherries, but also tomatoes, strawberries, plums, grapes or raspberries.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Harvest](\"https:\/\/www.santeplusmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cerise-022.jpg\" "\\"Worm-infested")
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Harvest cherries when they are bright red. source: spm<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to recognize the presence of worms in cherries?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To know if a cherry has been infested with a worm, just\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0check its appearance.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0If it is firm to the touch and smooth, with no moldy areas, and a green stem, then the cherry is healthy. On the other hand, do not eat cherries if they have brown spots\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0or if they are soft\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0or overripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to prevent worms from appearing on cherries?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To prevent the appearance of maggots in cherries, it is advisable\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0to plant early varieties<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0such as Napoleon or pigeon hearts, so that they reach maturity even before the first flight of the flies. Also, do not plant aromatic plants near your cherry trees\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0that can attract flies,<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0such as barberries or honeysuckle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid attracting the flies responsible for the appearance of maggots, it is also important to remove\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0all overripe fruit from your cherry tree.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0In winter, try to clean and dig the soil, i.e. remove it, especially under the foliage of your tree,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0to unearth the fly pupae\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and thus reduce the number of these that could appear in spring. You can also install, from the beginning of April, ecological traps to get rid of these flies. To do this,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0install yellow adhesive panels.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0The fly, attracted by this colour, will easily stick to this trap and leave your cherry tree alone. Note that there are also pheromone traps, consisting of strips covered with glue or small huts enclosing a pheromone capsule that is diffused through the air. This environmentally friendly trap is very effective\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0in capturing insects<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0that lay their eggs in the fruit. Please note that maggot-infected fruit should be discarded and not added to compost, as the larvae or maggots continue to grow in the fruit,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0even when it falls to the ground.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
That said, it is important to check the appearance of the cherries before tasting them. This allows you to recognize whether or not your red fruits have been infected by white maggots.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"