cherry tree worms

Hi

I'm in the kootenays 7a and I have an old large cherry tree that got eaten alive by worms last year. I harvested them and made a bunch of delicious things with bonus protein that you couldn't see. I'm not super worried however..... market cherries go for a pretty penny and they have to be pretty

In our area people are selling nets to put ON TOP of the tree, great for birds, but no protection from the fly's unless I'm wrong about that.

What are other people doing to keep the worms away if they are taking their cherries to market?

This is year two for my dwarf cherry "romeo" (I have a Juliette in another location) I have mint and lemon balm growing around the tree. I'm hoping this keeps the fly's away in the first place....maybe? anything else I can add around the base?

any tips suggestions?

I wonder if this is a curculio damaging your fruit? If you are only seeing the surface damage and the worm inside then it might be what is is called plum curculio but will attack cherries, peaches apples and other fruit. I shake my peach trees daily once they begin to bloom and set fruit and sometimes spread a cloth as suggested in this link, to catch and then squish the bugs. Here is one link to organic methods of control...I have never tried the clay but have heard it works. There are good pictures on line of curculio and the damage they cause.

plum curculio
and the WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE

Here is one picture of plum curculio from the BUG GUIDE I think they may vary a bit but the snout is pretty unmistakable.