Leaf Miner - a repost about citrus trees pests

 
Phyllocnistis citrella......sounds like a monster that I am bout to talk about. Though not nearly as large as Godzilla....but the damage is bout the same. Yes....let me introduce you to the citrus leaf miner. A little pest that showed up at our farm earlier this year.
This leaf miner is the larva of an introduced moth. The female moth lays her eggs and the larva quickly burrow between the upper and lower leaf surface of young foliage. The foliage becomes twisted and puckered as the larva mines and eats its way through the leaf. Be clear here now...it is inside of the leaf, not the surface. Using surface pesticide control does nothing to rid these buggers from the leaf.

After reading much on this subject....and realizing that there is conflicting procedures on how to rid this issue..... next year I will be applying insecticidal oil to the exterior leafs.....this will prevent the moth from laying eggs. A bi -weekly inspection of the trees will be perform as well. Any sight of intrusion on the leaf(s).....we plan to simply pinch off the leaf(s) and dispose into a airtight container. 

Also......I read where the eggs are actually in the ground as well.....about two inches under. Not all websites will mention this. To play it safe, I shall follow some advice.....place a clear sheet of plastic under the entire "drip line" (outer tips of the branches) of the tree, on the ground surface. This will prevent the hatchings from crawling out from the soil to the tree.
For greater details on this issue:  http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74137.html 


In this post above that I did November 2014....I mention covering the ground surrounding the tree(s). This will kill the hatchings down there....but all else too. it's a trade off. Eggs are mostly on the backside of new leafs. Two ways to combat this. 

Make your own neem oil http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Natural-Insecticide.I.D. any leaf and cut away from the tree.....then apply neem oil every five days. Or.....you can use Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree & Shrub Insect Control Landscape Formula,......but this takes up to three weeks to work. All depends if you want to use insecticides.

I will tell you...this Leaf Miner did extensive damage to our trees. Don't deal with this issue tomorrow....do it now! Say thanks to Florida....where this pest got imported into....20 years ago.....