View Single Post
  #2   Report Post  
Old 31-08-2007, 08:59 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Martin Brown Martin Brown is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,262
Default help! bugs eating citrus plants

On Aug 30, 9:34 pm, andy_con
wrote:
Hi, im a newbie this is my first post. i wasnt 100% sure where to put
but.

i have a lemon, orange, lime and some randon none fruiting citrus plant
which are all being eaten by something. ive no idea what it is? below
are some photos. even my peper plant is being eaten, can anyone
help???


I suspect you have more than one sort of bug/caterpillar doing damage
here. In mid-summer UK you could just put the citrus plants outside
and spray with diluted washing up liquid to discourage the infestors.
Leaving them outside will allow birds and ladybirds to pick off some
of the unwanted visitors. Not a cure but a considerable improvement.
Just remember to water them a bit more frequently than indoors and
they will thrive. And bring them in before any risk of frost.

[image:http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...082007306.jpg]


It looks to me from this picture like there is an infestation of red
spider on the older leaves (absolutely tiny ~0.1mm need a magnifying
glass to see the insects webs may be obvious). Silver pinprick damage
on old leaves and lack of vigour in new ones - the web might be
visible but you need a magnifying glass to see the pests.

BTW Don't put a recently sprayed plant in direct sunlight for a couple
of days. Wetting agents damage the surface waxes and the poor thing
can dessicate very quickly. I nearly killed a culinary Bay tree that
way.

Some mobile pest like meally bug is chewing at the leaves (leading to
deformed nibbled young leaves). Look under leaves for fluffy white
patches and treat with a small paintbrush dipped in meths. Same for
caterpillars. They are probably 1-2mm across.

Hope this helps - good hunting!

Regards,
Martin Brown