Hi, what has stung my citrus fruits. They are falling off the trees. Thanks.

Hi Tim, that looks like damage from either guava moth or a fruit worm, I am guessing it is guava moth as the adult lays its eggs on the fruit, the larvae hatch and bore into fruit, spoiling the fruit. Unlike fruit worm which has a dormant period in winter, guava moth is active year round as it finds other food sources and hosts. It is hard to control as the larvae is inside the fruit, so the best measure is prevention. Remove all fallen fruit and dispose of in the rubbish or burn, some people have resorted to microwaving, blending or freezing the infected fruit before disposal. There are pheromone traps that can be hung in the tree to attract the male which can be purchased from garden centres and hardware stores, there are also recipes for guava moth lure traps on Youtube and the internet that can be hung in the tree and removed once the tree has stopped fruiting. Lianne, Tui Team.