Apple maggot

Look for small dark flies with banded wings on serviceberry and native crabapple fruit in mid-summer (July through September). These flies lay eggs just beneath fruit skin. Inside infested fruit you will find translucent, legless maggots about 1/4 inch long that tunnel beneath skin, creating browning cavities and eventual fruit rot.

Hang yellow sticky traps near fruit in late June to monitor flies and reduce populations. Remove and destroy all fallen and rotten fruit throughout season; bury deeply or seal in containers to prevent emergence. Spray spinosad in mid-July and 10 days later when flies actively lay eggs. Mainly commercial issue; homeowners often accept minor fruit damage rather than spray.