Apple IPM for Beginners
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Pest management can be a complex system in perennial crops such as apples and other tree fruits. "Apple IPM (Integrated Pest managment) for Beginners" is an excellent guide for new growers who want to grow apples, or want to be more familiar with managing pests in apple plantings. Even growers who have been farming all their lives may know someone coming into the business that can learn from this guide and improve the quality of apples produced. This 42-page guide will help new apple growers protect apple orchards from pests, in fact sheet format. This series of fact sheets is available in printed color format (see order form below), or in .pdfs https://blogs.cornell.edu/treefruit/ipm/apple-ipm-for-beginners/ It will help you address the major apple pests, but does not guarantee perfect fruit. These fact sheets and scouting guides are a compromise between the most accurate, complex information researchers have to offer and the amount of information a beginner can take in. Read the first four chapters carefully to start this new venture. Then follow the Scouting Calendar as apple stage of growth advances week-by-week. "Apple IPM for Beginners" was partially funded by Federal Smith Lever Funds. Additional full color printed copies can be ordered from CCE-Lake Ontario Fruit Program.
Apple IPM for Beginners Order Form (pdf; 354KB)
- $15 for 1 copy, $12/each for multiple copies
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Food Safety Training
March 10, 2026
Newark, NY
Learn about food safety on the farm! This event hosted by the Cornell Vegetable Program, Cornell Lake Ontario Fruit Team, CCE Wayne County, and the NYS Department of Agriculture, will cover good agricultural practices (GAPs) to help reduce the risk of microbial contamination on the farm, keeping food and consumers safe.
WSU Tree Fruit Heat School - In Person Learning Hub
March 11, 2026
Waterport, NY
Attend the WSU Tree Fruit Heat School at an in-person regional learning hub in Waterport, NY, covering heat-related challenges in apple and pear production—or join virtually on your own.
2026 Tree Fruit Scouting Online Course
February 25, 2026 : Week 1 - IPM Fundamentals + Tools
This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season. Register by February 18th.
March 4, 2026 : Week 2 - Insects: Part 1
This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season. Register by February 18th.
March 11, 2026 : Week 3 - Insects: Part 2
This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season. Register by February 18th.
March 18, 2026 : Week 4 - Diseases
This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season. Register by February 18th.
March 25, 2026 : Week 5 - Weeds, Wildlife, + Wrap-Up
This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season. Register by February 18th.