Hampshire plum tree yields infested fruit amid drought — SkimNews
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- Victoria plum tree produced an unusually heavy crop despite drought conditions, with branches snapping under the weight of the fruit.
- Plum fruit moth (Grapholita funebrana) larvae infested the plums, burrowing into the flesh and leaving frass that gave the fruit a gritty, coffee-ground-like texture.
- Gardener found pink caterpillars and crumbly brown pellets inside cut plums, realizing the bitter taste and odd texture were due to insect excrement.
- Infested plums showed subtle signs of damage including slight misshaping and oozing sap at entry points, a defense response known as gummosis.
- Fallen and damaged fruit must be removed and disposed of away from the tree to prevent larvae from pupating and continuing the infestation cycle.
- Compost bin became a temporary migration site for caterpillars that emerged overnight from discarded infested fruit scraps.
Why it matters: Home fruit growers facing drought may see deceptive yields—lush appearance can mask serious pest infestations that compromise edibility and require immediate sanitation to break the reproductive cycle. The case underscores how environmental stress can alter both plant and pest behavior in unexpected ways.
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