organic control of leaf curl midge IN PIP FRUIT

The apple leaf curl midge (ALCM) and pear leaf curl midge (PLCM) are two different species of insect that are host-plant specific. They cause the same type of damage in each host: tightly curled up young leaves at the growing tips of shoots.

Neither midge is considered a major pest so there is little information about controlling them, and most people advocate the use of conventional chemicals either to the soil or foliage. Leaf curl midges are more often a problem in younger trees. Occasionally they can cause severe problems and have the potential to defoliate a tree.

The adult pear leaf curl midge () and apple leaf curl midge () are tiny two-winged insects of 2–4 mm in length. The larvae tend to live inside plant tissue, and are about 2 mm long. They pupate and overwinter in the soil to emerge at bloom time.