I am in Houston Tx. I have 11 citrus trees, plus maybe 25 seedlings and
some flying dragon seedlings. The leaf miners are on everything!! I sprayed with the recommended Fertilome about 45 days ago and it did not seem to bother them. according to the directions, you are only supposed to spray 6 times per season with this mixture. Can I spray more than 6 times a season or should I strengthen the mixture. Thought about using `Yard Guard` for mosquitos since the adult critter is a small moth. I am not too worried about the adult trees, (2 years old), but I think the seedlings have about had it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Bill

Hi Billy. I haven't seen a leafminer yet this year (I probably just jinxed myself). Last year I had quaite a few & used ultrafine oil once a week & it seemed to do a good job. Apply it in the evening when no rain is predicted. Totally cover the top & bottom of the leaf surface.

I don't know whats with the miners in my area, but most years they are here in force by early June...

Lazz I haven't seen one in Beaufort either and I am getting the second flush on a lot of the citrus. Knock on wood!

Ned

See I knew it My Sudachi has miners this morning... Time to get spraying tonight...

Laaz
Are you spraying only the new leaf sprouts every week, or do you spray the entire tree? I am also using the spionosad product, but 6 times a year does not seem to slow them down. I think that my spray timing is not in sink or this product just doesn’t work. I am trying a spray schedule of once a month starting in May and ending in October. Maybe this will work for me. Trouble is that I have no idea of how residual this product may be. For all I know it may be washed away the next day by rain. I just can not find any information on how long it last between sprays.

I spray only the new growth every week to ten days. I spray the entire tree about once a month.

I spray about 7-8 PM.

Hi Karpes, I don't remember where I read it, but I remember reading that spinosad has a half life of 1.6 days in bright sun. It may last longer on the bottom side of leaves. Fortunatly it is relatively non-toxic to mammals-- something like 2000 mg/kg.

I'll see if I can find the link again.

Skeet

Here is a link with toxicity and half life data ( it did say 1.6 to 16 days for leaf surface photolysis):

http://ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/hutchins2.htm

Thanks Skeeter
Looks like they are researching a sex pheromone and application for the leaf miner. This is the link. http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects/projects.htm?accn_no=410111

Thanks Karpes-- let me know if you see a commercial source for the pheromone.

They also have found a biological control agent-- Ageniaspis citricola that they released in Florida about 10 years ago I haven't found any reports on how well it is doing. See link below:

http://biocontrol.ifas.ufl.edu/natural_enemies/citrus_leafminer_hoy.htm

They are showing up here in Beaufort (South of Charleston) a little but I think (hope) they will not be as intense as in years past. I am hoping some of the natural predators released in FL are making it this way.

I read somewhere (may something Dr. Manners wrote) that it is thought that natrual predators of other leaf minors (there are naturally occuring species) would eventually see the citrus leaf minors as a food source, and help bring them under control.

Yeah. I have leafminers all over my trees. Sick of looking at the poor leaves. Just ran out of my neem solution, so hopefully I will get it early nnext week as I have new growth flushes on almost everything coming out now. The FE solution I used doesn't seem to stop them from laying eggs on the new sprouts, only the Neem oil seem to deter. I am also going to introduce a batch of parasitic wasp for control. Biological predator control they say should cut back on 50% of the leafmining population... Should have them by the end of August... See below

The tiny parasitic wasp D.Sibirica kills the leaf miner by laying an egg inside the miner. The parasitic wasp D. Isaea kills a miner and lays an egg next to it for the hatching larvae to eat. Works best in warm environments. Each bottle contains 225 D. Sibirica and 25 D. Isaea.
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/N151.html

90% mortality rates are associated in Florida with the introduction of Ageniaspis citricola, which I can't seem to find online.

I HATE LEAFMINERS!