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Fruits, Nuts & Perennial Crop CalendarsOrchard Pest Scouting Calendar
Scouting turns pest control from a guess into a decision. This calendar shows what to look for at each stage and how traps and degree days help you time it.
Key points
- Scout by tree stage and temperature, not by the calendar.
- Use traps and degree days where models exist for your pest.
- Compare counts to thresholds before acting.
- Follow labels and protect pollinators.
- Keep scouting notes in one place and review them every winter before planning the next season.
Why scout instead of following a spray calendar?
Pest activity follows temperature and tree stage, not dates. Michigan State University Extension has made the point plainly: unusual weather makes calendar timing unreliable and trapping valuable.
Scouting tells you whether a pest is present and whether it is at a level that needs action. It saves money and protects beneficial insects.
A hand lens helps with mites and small insects. Carry a notebook, a lens and a camera into the orchard each week. Scouting also tells you when not to act, which protects pollinators and natural enemies. For example, if a warm spell pushes trees ahead of schedule, a trap check that was planned for next week may need to happen tomorrow.
What should you look for in late winter and early spring?
Look for overwintering pests on bark and buds, signs of disease on last year's wood and mummified fruit on trees and the ground. Make a note of what you find and where.
Track bud stages. Many pest and disease decisions are tied to stages such as green tip, pink and petal fall, as explained in extension pest advisories.
Learn the beneficial insects in your region as well as the pests, since ladybird beetles, lacewings and predatory mites can do real work for you. Write the date and stage on every note so patterns show up across seasons. Pay special attention to the weeks before bloom, when early pests and disease can be easy to miss.
- Inspect bark, buds and wood
- Remove mummies and diseased wood
- Log bud stage weekly
How do traps and degree days help?
Pheromone traps tell you when adult moths of certain pests are flying, and degree-day models estimate development from accumulated heat. Purdue, Utah State and North Carolina State publish guidance for codling moth and other pests.
Use a weather station near your orchard or your extension's model, and start counting at the date the model specifies. Check traps on a regular schedule and keep a log.
Choose representative trees in different parts of the block and revisit the same trees each time so changes are easy to spot. Traps need fresh lures at the intervals set by the maker, and placement height and location matter.
How do you scout through the summer?
Walk the block weekly. Inspect leaves, shoot tips and fruit on a set number of trees, in the same pattern each time. Look for insects, mites, damage and beneficial insects.
Compare your counts to thresholds from extension for your crop. A single insect does not mean a problem, and thresholds help you decide. A consistent route and sample size make your counts comparable week to week. Look at the shaded interior of the canopy as well as the outside, because pests and disease often start where air moves less.
What changes close to harvest?
Check fruit for damage and note what you see for next year. Remember that pre-harvest intervals on pesticide labels limit what can be applied near picking, and the label is the law.
Fruit with worm holes or rot should be removed from the orchard and handled as local advice suggests. Fruit that falls early often carries pests, and removing it can reduce the next generation.
What about fall and winter sanitation?
Rake and remove fallen fruit and leaves where recommended. Prune out diseased wood and clean up the orchard floor. Sanitation lowers pressure for the next season.
Write a summary of what you found and what it cost you. This record helps you choose where to focus next year. Compost or bury drops only in ways your local extension recommends. Clean up and sanitation done in fall pays off in spring in many orchard problems, and costs only labor.
When should you call for help?
If you find something you do not recognize, take clear photos and send them to your county extension office. Plant diagnostic labs at land-grant universities can identify problems.
If treatment is needed, ask for current recommendations for your state, use a licensed applicator when required and protect pollinators. Bring leaf and insect samples in a sealed bag or container, with photos, to your extension office. Ask whether your state runs a pest alert email list or a diagnostic service, since many do and some are free.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.