A guy I work with called me with a problem - he has what he describes as small crystals, like sugar or salt crystals, appearing on his peaches. I have no experience with stone fruits and have never had crystals on any of my apples or pears. Any peach growers out there ever come across this? Could it be solidified fructose seeping out of insect bore holes? A quick look at my refernce books on fruit didn't help. Thanks for any insight.

Bob

-- Robert (STBARB@usa.net), May 28, 2000

Answers

Bob, very small chance a spray that your friend applied (or blew in from someone else's spraying) could be crystalizing on the peaches. But I'd say you're correct in assuming something is piercing the peaches and the juices are crystalizing. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 28, 2000.

My guess is some bug like aphids (others do this too) is on the peaches. They secrete a small drop of sugary stuff out of their backend and actually attract ants this way. The ants like the sugary stuff. I never heard of the peach problem so I'm just throwing out a guess. Carol

-- Carol (fchambers@mail.janics.com), May 29, 2000.

They are sap spots caused by a fruit fly laying an egg "into" the peach. As the peach matures you can cut it open and actually find the larvae from the fruit fly eating the inside of the peach. It only takes one larvae to ruin a peach, but if a peach gets several of these, some growers consider the peach "wormy". Pick it, and throw it away. Leave it and the larvae will a mature and the trend will continue. Each sap spot represents an egg and larvae.

-- LOUIS O'REAR (OREAR_L@POPMAIL.FIRN.EDU), January 17, 2002.