Apple Maggots

We have these awful little things called apple maggots that sometimes infest apple trees. Last year we ended up tossing about 1/2 the apples from our tree because of them. And despite trying to be very careful and cutting apples for pies into 1/2" pieces, I'm sure we digested many apple maggots. We're still alive, and the pies tasted fine, but I'm trying everything I can to prevent another outbreak this year.

Unfortunately our next-door neighbor leaves his apples to rot all winter and doesn't throw away the carcasses until late spring, which is counterproductive to my efforts. (Rule #1 for apple maggot prevention: clean up all windfalls and rotten apples because that's where the critters hibernate!)

However, to the rescue: our local, trendy and very expensive garden centre sells Apple Maggot Traps. I bought a box yesterday, read the directions carefully, and I now have 3 glue-covered baggies containing plastic apples with holes in the bottom and "bait" held on the fake stems with bread bag clips. (Pretty sure I read the directions right, but if anyone has more intelligence or experience with this please let me know!)

The glue is very sticky and effective. It is now on my clothes, a cupboard door, our bottle of canola oil (the directions said it would help remove the glue, well it kind of helps but not completely), the backdoor handle and the kitchen tap. Which saves me worrying about what to do if it rains, because I know for sure that this stuff is waterproof! I hope to be less sticky in about 3 days, at least I think that's how long we keep our skin cells. So far I have not caught any apple maggots, although I seem to attracted all the loose dog hair in the house, which is now more firmly attached to me than it ever was to the dog.

 The glue is melting in the heat and dripping down,

but mostly it's still on the bag (or on me.)

 Epic fail! This one only stayed up 10 minutes. (Very flimsy hangers.)

Putting it back resulted in even more glue sticking to me. I think the glue migrates.

The little plastic tube at the top is the "bait."

I really don't understand the purpose of the plastic apples with holes at the bottom. If the bait works as it should and attracts the apple-maggot-flies, then hopefully they will stick in the glue. (And they will stick! Believe me!) They have no hope of getting to the bottom of the bag, locating the hole in the plastic apple and crawling inside. So what exactly is the trap? The glue, or the plastic apple? If it's the glue, then why even have the apples - they could have saved a bundle on the cost of making these kits. Just a thought.