What pests attack apple?

Apple blossom weevil, Black-veined white, Broad mite, Codling moth, San José scale, Scale insects, Woolly aphid, Leaf rollers

What diseases affect apple?

Brown rot and blossom wilt, Fire blight, Honey fungus, Apple scab, Black rot and frogeye leaf spot, Cytospora canker

What else goes wrong with apple?

Bitter pit, Frost cracks and winter sunscald

Apple pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which apple problems need quick action?

Brown rot and blossom wilt: Sunken cankers may form on twigs where the infection spreads from flowers or fruit. Fire blight: Blossoms wilt and turn brown to black at flowering time. Honey fungus: Clumps of honey-coloured mushrooms around stumps or over dead roots in late summer and autumn — not every year, and plants may die before any appear.

Malus domestica

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for apple in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	16
Pests	8
Diseases	6
Nutrient deficiencies	1
Growing conditions	1
Need quick action	3

How to grow apple · All pests and diseases

Pests

Apple blossom weevilBlossom buds that never open; the petals turn brown and stay closed like a dome-shaped cap.Photo: Francisco Welter-Schultes, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Black-veined whiteIn winter, nests of a few dry leaves spun together with silk hang in the crown, each holding dozens of small caterpillars.Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Broad miteOn peppers the fruit becomes conspicuously scarred; untreated plants can lose the whole crop.Photo: David Riley, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Codling mothA hole in the side or the eye end of the fruit, often plugged with reddish-brown crumbly droppings.Also called: codlin mothPhoto: Simon Winkley & Ken Walker, Museum Victoria, CC BY 3.0 au, Wikimedia Commons
San José scaleHeavily infested trees lose vigour and crop, and limbs or whole trees can die.Photo: Zihao Wang, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Scale insectsHeavy infestations cause yellowing, leaf drop, poor growth and dieback.Photo: BARAKAT2011, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Woolly aphidFluffy white wax on the bark, in cracks and pruning wounds, hiding blackish-brown aphids.Photo: Abrahami, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf rollersHeavy attacks strip part or all of the leaves.Also called: tortrix moths, leafroller mothsPhoto: Patrick Clement, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Nutrient deficiencies

Bitter pitSmall sunken spots on the apple skin, mostly towards the blossom end, that darken to brown.Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Growing conditions

Frost cracks and winter sunscaldLong vertical splits in the trunk, usually on the south or south-west side.Photo: Roger Griffith, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Which apple problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Brown rot and blossom wilt: Blossoms and leaves on fruiting spurs turn brown and shrivel at flowering time.
Fire blight: Blossoms wilt and turn brown to black at flowering time.
Honey fungus: Branches die back over several years, or the whole plant dies suddenly in hot dry weather; leaves are smaller and paler, autumn colour comes early, and a last unusually heavy flowering or crop may come just before death.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.