This year's Swedish apple harvest may be in jeopardy due to the presence of fruit moths (Argyresthia conjugella Zell). The insect is difficult to control, and no forecasts can be made about where it will strike before a large part of the harvest is lost.

"The fruit moth is four to five millimetres long and white. It's a pretty small insect, but it is our worst enemy," says Filip Tufvesson, a fruit grower from Osterlen.

This is not a new problem for fruit growers; every four or five years, apple orchards are severely hit by it.

"They swarmed in a couple of weeks ago and the eggs are now hatching. The apples affected cannot be used for anything, not even for the processing industry," says Filip Tufvesson.

In the worst case scenario, 70-80 % of the crop will be damaged, but Filip Tufvesson still thinks there should be enough apples in store this year.

Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/