Jackfruit shoot and fruit borer
Caterpillars bore into flower spikes, shoots and young fruits, leaving holes with brown frass, and the fruits rot or drop.
Crops it attacks
Where the damage shows
When to act
Each week check young fruits, flower spikes and new shoots of every tree for holes with brown frass. Bag fruits before the first holes appear, and cut out bored shoots and spikes as you find them.
What to spray
Active ingredients only, never brands. The IRAC group tells how it works: switch to a different group next time, so the pest does not learn to survive it. Spray only when the damage is worth the cost, and only with products registered with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for your crop. Follow the label. The Shopee and Lazada links only show who sells something with that active ingredient, not a recommendation of any seller or product.
How to prevent it
- Bag or wrap young fruits in sacks, net or perforated plastic soon after fruit set.
- Gather fallen male flower spikes and bored fruits every few days and bury or burn them. The caterpillars breed in them.
- Cut off and burn bored shoots well below the hole.
- Thin crowded fruits so each can be bagged and checked.
- Prune trees open and low enough to reach the fruits for bagging.
Natural enemies and biological help
- Egg wasps, ants and spiders attack the eggs and young caterpillars. Avoid broad sprays.
- Bt sprays on young fruits and spikes kill small caterpillars before they bore in.
Where this comes from
Not sure it is this one?
Many pests look alike. Send a photo to Anee, the smart farm technician in anee.io. She reads it with your crop, its age and the weather, and tells you what it most likely is and what to do first. In Tagalog or English.