A preventive spray program may be advisable if scab, psyllids, apple maggots, curculios, aphids, or codling moths are a persistent problem. A general preventive spray program in this situation will result in greater quantities of cleaner fruit and a generally healthier tree. The general spray program that follows can be tailored to specific insects and diseases. Unfortunately, fire blight cannot be treated or prevented with a preventive spray program.

Necessary supplies are: a sprayer device (with at least 1-gallon capacity), dormant oil spray, lime sulfur fungicide, commercial insecticidal soap, seaweed extract, Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) insecticide, flowable sulfur fungicide, Bordeaux mixture fungicide, and a surfactant (sticker) to help the other materials stick to the leaves.