What cuts the limb tips?
Limbs cut, as in the photograph on the right, are caused by twig girdlers. Twig girdlers do their damage late summer and fall. Twigs weakened by the twig girdler will fall during windstorms. Generally, on mature trees, the girdler is not a major problem. But, on young trees production can be limited in addition to hampering attempts to develop a strong central leader. Eggs are deposited in the severed stem, which later hatch and the cycle continues. Severed stems should be immediately cleared from the orchard site and burned. Sevin is an effective insecticide for the girdler. Since damage occurs near the same time as from weevils, a single treatment for weevils and twig girdler will bring some relief.
