Leafroller and Leaftier
12 host plants
Last updated
Leafroller and leaftier caterpillars create folded or rolled leaf shelters on apple and other fruit trees, feeding within the protected webbed area. You notice rolled or folded leaves connected with silk webbing on branch terminals and younger growth. The small caterpillars remain hidden within their shelters; unrolling affected leaves reveals the pale larvae. Damage to fruit or foliage is typically light unless populations are exceptionally heavy.
Remove affected leafroller or tied leaves by hand during early to mid-summer before caterpillars complete development. For landscape trees with light infestations, manual removal is practical. Monitor young trees starting in late April for shelter formation. If chemical intervention is needed, spinosad or biological insecticides applied to visible shelters target caterpillars.
Quick Reference
Cultural Controls
- biological control Very low temperatures in winter significantly reduce overwintering populations.
- Spiders and parasitic/predatory insects greatly reduce leafroller populations throughout the year.
- Management-cultural control Removal of overwintering sites, such as rolled leaves on the ground or plastered to canes, can reduce next year's population.
- Proper pruning and training of canes can reduce leafroller populations.
- Avoid use of broad-spectrum insecticides which can disrupt natural...