Epidemic of Codling Moth affecting Apples

This year most of my apples have turned out to have round holes in them and have started rotting on the tree and falling prematurely. Inside the apple when you cut it open is a dark track coming from the centre with gunge in it.

This is due to the larvae of the codling moth and its the first time I have noticed it it my many years on the allotment. The moth lays its eggs on the apple which when they hatch, drill into the apple, have a good feed then emerge 4 weeks later much fatter making a bigger hole. The larvae then form pupae which drop to the ground and the whole cycle repeats again when they hatch. Normally in the UK this only happens once in early summer but I suspect the hot weather this year there have been more than one cycle. Certainly fruit growers have been saying this year has been very bad for it (it attacks pears too!)

The damaged fruit just rots away and I've noticed a lot of brown fungal rot of the apples on the tree.

There's not a lot we can do about it but  taking what apples haven't been attacked and clearing the dead leaves and rotten apples under the tree which will reduce the number of pupae for next year. The birds will also help by gobbling them up!

Here is a link to RHS information about it.