Cherry fruitworm

Cherry fruitworm larvae bore into cherry fruits in the Puget Sound region, creating entrance holes and feeding galleries filled with dark droppings. You will find damaged fruit with small openings near the stem end starting in late June and continuing through harvest. Infested cherries may split or appear sunken. This pest affects sweet and ornamental cherry; damage is most apparent late in the season when affected fruit becomes obvious.

Remove all damaged fruit from trees and ground; discard in sealed containers or bury deeply. Prune out diseased or dead branches where pupae overwinter. This is primarily a harvest quality issue; prevention focuses on removing fruit that fell naturally or was damaged early. Spinosad can suppress populations if applied at early fruit development stages, though timing requires monitoring moth emergence. Most home gardeners accept minor damage rather than pursue chemical control.