Before you deliver nuts to the huller, take a representative sample after shaking and before sweeping. This sample will tell you what pests are in your orchard so you can plan for management activities for next year. It will also serve as a record to compare with the grade given by the huller.
How to take a harvest sample:
- Collect 500 nuts per block.
- Crack the nuts and check for evidence of pests.
Evidence of pests in damaged nuts
Peach twig borer and navel orangeworm often infest the same nut, but navel orangeworm bores into the nut and peach
twig borer does not. Therefore, navel orangeworm feeding masks that of peach twig borer.
| Photos of nut damage | Kernel | Frass | Webbing | Boring | Feeding behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Navel orangeworm |
Deep chewing into nut | White, often quite a lot | Yes | Yes | Feed in groups |
 Ants |
Scraping or peeling of kernel skin, deep hollowing of nut, "sawdust" present | No | Hollowing | Varies | |
 Leafootted bug |
Dark spots on the kernel | ||||
 Oriental fruit moth |
Shallow channels and surface grooves on the kernels | Reddish brown; very little | No | No | Feed in groups |
 Peach twig borer |
Shallow channels and surface grooves on the kernels | None | No | No | Generally solitary |