Happy Urban Dirt

If you have almond trees in your garden or have a plantation of them, pests are something you don’t want to get near. Or rather, one of them almond wasp. You know her? Do you know how deadly that can be?

Discover all the characteristics of this pest below, as well as the symptoms and solutions you can implement to control it. Shall we start?

What does an almond wasp look like?

Source_Agricultural Minute

The first thing you should know about the almond wasp is that a few years ago it was not present in Spain. In fact, it was first located in 2010 in Albacete. Over time, it has spread throughout the country.

Its scientific name is Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein and it is a hymenoptera. It’s a wasp, but with a completely black body. They measure about four and six mm in males and seven to eight in females. They also live very briefly, but they can do a lot of damage in such a low time.

During this time, it is able to eat not only the outside of the almond tree, but also its inside. In fact, it lays its eggs in the fruit so that when the larvae hatch, they can crack the shell of the almond and thus feed on what is inside. Talking about the eggs, you should know that they measure between 0.3 to 0.4 mm, have a silky appearance and are white in color. Inside are the caterpillar larvae, which can measure about ten mm. They are gray-white and have no legs.

Life Cycle of the Almond Wasp

The life cycle of this pest lasts about a year, or even two, if we are talking about a temperate climate. Earlier we told about the wasp larva, how it comes out, pierces the almond and feeds on its flesh. This happens in summer and winter in such a way that after the winter ends, the caterpillars become pupae, and in spring and summer they reach adulthood.

It is at this point that they leave the tonsil and begin looking for a mate and lay eggs to begin the cycle.

Females are capable of laying from fifty to one hundred eggs, usually one or two eggs per grain, and these they only come to delicate after ten or twenty days.

What symptoms does the wasp cause in the almond tree?

If you have almond trees and are concerned that this pest may be spreading, there are a few symptoms to look out for:

• Hollow almonds: not only are they empty, but they are also smaller than normal and have a brown color… In fact, since they do not fall from the tree, they often turn black in winter. But if in spring you notice that it also has a hole, then there is no doubt that there is a danger of these wasps there.
• Level view: that is, you see many wasps around the tree or near the fruit. Because this can make you understand that something is wrong (and if you also see them up close and identify them as almond wasps, you will no longer have any doubts).

The biggest symptom will be tonsils. In fact, when they are collected, it is advisable to inspect each one to see if they have any hole or white spot, which can be discarded immediately as there is most likely a larva in them. In fact, can be opened and searched. They should be burned to prevent them from reaching the adult stage and thus minimize blight.

what does this pest do

Source_Phytoma

As we said, The almond wasp is capable of feeding and destroying the tree from both the inside and outside. But the normal thing is that it only affects the fruits. Now this means a loss of crops.

This can mean a great economic loss for those who devote themselves to the cultivation of almond trees. In the case of the garden, the appearance of this pest can make you have no almonds for your own needs. But you have a bigger problem to deal with: wasps in your home. This becomes risky with children and pets.

Overall, an almond tree would be fine as it would not affect your health, although it may cause problems and cause it to produce fewer almonds or be more susceptible to other pests.

What to do with this plague

If you have confirmed the presence of the almond wasp, it is high time to get to work, and this should be done as soon as possible so as not to damage the tree itself.

There are several measures you can take. Among them, the following:

• Eliminate infected fruit. It’s not basic, but it can be done to prevent the larvae from reaching the end and causing the pest to be present for a long time. The best thing about them is that you burn them. Considering that almonds can be harvested in behind schedule summer or early fall, their early detection will facilitate to reduce the pest itself.
• Exploit chemical treatments. The problem is that they are only effective against adult plague, they do not affect the larvae, so they are almost used preventively. There are several methods of treatment, many of them recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. You will just have to take a look to know which ones will be the most effective.
• Set traps. These will make it possible to catch almond wasps and thus get rid of them so that they do not lay eggs on trees. You can buy them, but you can also make them at home and they will facilitate you eliminate the blight. They involve the employ of insecticides or contact treatments that kill the wasp within seconds.

Now that you have more information about the almond wasp, you can be more aware of it not coming near your almond tree. Especially since it is very risky to health.