Mango Invader

[lannachiangrai]

My mango harvest has been decimated by a pest that first bores a hole in the mangoes and then lays eggs. Can anyone help identify the culprit and/or recommend a solution?

[MrRed]

Similar to the Spanish fly or alike it maybe??

Edited June 19, 2012 by MrRed

[Pond Life]

I think this is fruit fly damage.

Around here (Mae Hongson province) most people seem to have a lot of problems this year.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the early heavy rains.

Our early mangos were maybe 80% kaput.

Later ones maybe 50 % kaput.

It also seemed to vary with the variety of mango.

We don't use any chemicals, some years are good some are bad.

[soidog2]

Unfortunately, growing pest free mango involves a lot of spraying.

You can do it organically or chemically but you must have a pest management program in place or your fruit will suffer.

After fruit set, if chemical, a monthly or by-monthly program need be applied almost to harvest time.

When the fruit reaches egg size you can give it a rest, start again a couple of month later.

If organic; its much harder to find something that works and than you need to apply it more often.

Good Luck

[jubby]

I've never had problems with my mangoes , got about 30 trees. must be 7 or 8 years old now. never used Chemicals either. Always told that I need to spray if I want to sell them, but I suspect thats to do with them looking perfect more than anything.

they are infested with red Ants. but the Ants don't seem to bother them , although they certainly bother me when I'm picking them. I just wonder if the ants are keeping the other insects at bay.

Not that it matters, we were offered 4.5 baht a Kilo this year , Sold a few but fed most of them to the Pigs and of course I pigged myself too.

must be down to my last 30 Kilo's of the things. I guess I'll be pigging myself out on Lamyai next

[Pond Life]

Jubby, look up "weaver ants", seems like that can be beneficial.

Mine are also infested, but I leave them alone if I can.

[bannork]

Jubby, look up "weaver ants", seems like that can be beneficial.

Mine are also infested, but I leave them alone if I can.

We had some ants crawling over our 3 year old mango trees and zalacca (sala สละ in Thai). I don't think they were weaver, they were black. I wrapped the trunks with masking tape with the sticky side facing outside. They soon left the premises.

[jubby]

I guess i was suggesting the Red Weaver ants may help the ops problems with his mangoes. The Black Ants, especially the smaller ones will be a bigger problem than the one he's trying to solve. I've tried to introduce the much larger Red ants to the land around our house in an effort to get rid of the black ones. The red ants fought but couldn't cope with the sheer numbers and were wiped out within hours.

[bannork]

I guess i was suggesting the Red Weaver ants may help the ops problems with his mangoes. The Black Ants, especially the smaller ones will be a bigger problem than the one he's trying to solve. I've tried to introduce the much larger Red ants to the land around our house in an effort to get rid of the black ones. The red ants fought but couldn't cope with the sheer numbers and were wiped out within hours.

The black ants nearly killed our zalacca, they seemed to eat the inside of the young green 'shoots', kililng them off. I had to use a spray on them but I fear they'll be back. I guessed their nest was in the soil aorund the zalacca so I used a chemical( I forget the name) for killing ants attacking roots. So far so good, the zalacca has sprouted more shoots (branches).

To save mangoes, some wrap them in plastic bags on the tree.

[sbk]

Big red ants are nasty but they are effective at keeping other insects off your trees. Didn't realize the black ones could wipe them out tho!

[Pond Life]

I think this is your critter.

Sorry about the poor quality.