When we went into commercial orcharding, we ran straight into the massive problems of raising fruit because of the many insects that were constantly attacking our trees and fruit. Our garden was also constantly under attack. However, we did not give up and eventually learned how to deal with many of them.

What follows are a few ideas for how to deal with the worst of the pests (insects, etc.) that we are confronted with in this area.

The Codling Moth: This pest is responsible for the worms that appear each year in your apples and pears. There are many chemicals that can be used to deal with them, but I am against the use of chemicals in my orchard, so I had to look for an organic method for dealing with them.

After nearly 20 years of trying to figure out how to deal with them, a professor in Oregon and I came up with the same solution – which really works. It is simple and cost-free and will reduce the worm holes by 75 to 80 percent if done right.

Simply steel brush your apple or pear tree from the ground up to about 2 feet, making sure any loose bark or debris is removed. Then paint it with a white latex paint – it may be necessary to do it twice.

Now, wrap a piece of cardboard measuring 4 to 6 inches wide around the tree about six inches from the ground, securing it with wire. This should be done about the 1st of April.

In mid-June, remove the cardboard and replace it with a new piece of cardboard, again secured with wire. Leave this piece on until mid-October.

When you remove the cardboard, carefully place it into a plastic bag and then burn it. The cardboard should have large tunnels to provide places where the codling moth can walk inside and lay eggs.

The Limb/Trunk Borers: There are two types of borers: one that attacks the limbs and another that attacks the trunks of apricot, peach and nectarine trees. Both can be dealt with through this procedure.

First, locate any holes in the limbs or tree trunks where a gold/brown honey liquid is oozing out. Take an ice pick and shove it into every hole you can find, hopefully killing the borer.

Then paint a ring immediately below the holes about 2 to 3 inches wide with fat (any kind will do, deer, cow, pig, etc.) The fat should be melted until it is the consistency of thick paint. Do this where you find any holes. This method has been used by orchardists for more than 125 years with considerable success.

Gophers: These little monsters are an enemy to every orchardist and gardener and must be dealt with immediately upon discovery. When you discover the mound of dirt, it will be shaped like a horseshoe. Start digging or drive a steel rod into the ground in front of the horseshoe to discover where the gopher’s tunnel is. Start about 12 inches from the top of the horseshoe.

Once the tunnel is discovered, I recommend you use a box or gut-ripper trap. Make sure the trap is secured to a stick or rod with a strong string. Then cover the hole with grass or dirt and come back and check in about four hours.

Another good solution is to use the new large stick of powder (in a gray package and about six inches long). Light it and quickly stick it into the hole and cover the hole entrance. It will make a loud bang and send large clouds of smoke down the tunnel that will kill or drive your gophers out of tat area.

Aphids: “Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects. Distinguished by their pear-like shape, long antennae and pair of cornicles – tube-like appendages that project from the back end. They suck plant sap and cause withering of foliage and a general loss of vigor.”

Aphids attack plants, trees and almost all vegetables and must be dealt with as soon as possible lest they get out of control. Usually they will appear in the top of the youngest branches. They will first appear as a small brown egg where some of the leaves will start wilting or curling up.

Dormant sprays will protect against aphids in trees; however, you could still have an outbreak of them. There are several ways to deal with them. Spray as soon as you discover them with a solution of one tablespoon of dish soap to two quarts of water. Spray as often as necessary to get rid them. You should rinse the soap off after a day or so. Also, Neem oil works.

Other ways to get rid of aphids include the use of ladybugs, placing a yellow dishpan of soapy water near the affected plants, and planting nasturtiums between vegetables rows.

Squash Bugs: “Squash bugs are dingy brownish-black insects, about 5/8 inches long, that have a very disagreeable odor when crushed. The young bugs have this same color. When newly hatched, they have reddish heads and legs and green bodies.”

The shiny brick-red eggs are found on the leaves and should be crushed as soon as discovered. This is usually best done in the morning. They can easily be deterred by growing radishes, nasturtiums or marigolds nearby.

Alternatively, place newspapers and boards about 6″ wide and 12″ long under the plants. Check the boards often by turning them over and crushing the squash bugs that have gathered there.

You must monitor your squash often or risk losing them to the squash bugs. Also, it is wise to check the leaves of your plants regularly for squash bugs or their eggs. When discovered, simply squash them.

Cutworms: They are ugly to look at and unpleasant to touch. “Worse yet, they attack just about every plant in the garden. Young plants are usually cut off at the soil line. This kind of injury is common in grow beds and cold frames and especially early in the growing season. Cutworms are typically plump, soft-bodied, usually dull in color and scantly covered with coarse bristles or hairs.”

They are usually found at the base of plants on which they feed. When bothered, they usually coil their bodies. They burrow several inches into the ground to pupate and grow into a night-flying moth.

If concerned, place a 3-inch-high cardboard barrier around young plants. Crushed egg shell can also be scattered around the plants and then covered lightly with soil. Also, building a ring of ashes around the plants and then soaking them with water might help.

Grasshoppers: Surely everyone is most familiar with grasshoppers. How to deal with them is a horse of a different color. The first sign that you may have a problem is the appearance of nymphs, which start feeding within a day of hatching. This is the time to kill them.

If they are not in your garden, one of the best things to kill them is Seven. You may have to spray several times to get them, but it is well worth it. Once they mature to where they start laying eggs, you may be in serious trouble. You can also use Seven again, but I do not recommend its use in the garden.

Here in our county where we have many juniper trees, they may be the best solution. What you do is lay small juniper boughs around the perimeter of the garden and then some inside the garden. This usually deters them.

I have also used several homemade sprays such as amassing a large collection of the mature grasshoppers and placing them in a blender (use a second hand blender that you don’t ordinarily use). Add some water and turn it on. This provides a wonderful spray for your plants – it seems to deter them.