http://jacksonville.com/lifestyles/home_and_garden/2009-11-07/story/garden_qa_certain_insects_love_to_nibble_on_citrus_peel

Garden Q&A: Certain insects love to nibble on citrus peel

* By Becky Wern
* Story updated at 1:35 PM on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009


Birds also like the taste of citrus, but they will poke
holes in the fruit not just take some of the peel.

Q: A few of my citrus fruits have damage to the peel, like something has been nibbling on them. It doesn't go all the way through to the fruit, so I guess the fruit is OK. But what would have done it, and how can I prevent the problem next year?

A number of creatures will do damage to citrus peel. It's obvious that something has been working on the peel, because the top layer has been removed, leaving a bit of scarring on the peel.

Most likely culprits are grasshoppers, katydids, crickets or weevils. Birds can do damage, but they will usually punch a hole in the fruit. And rodents will eat citrus, but they don't stop at the outer surface of the peel.

Grasshoppers hatch out in late spring and stay together for a while, as many as 50 of them in a group. They can be hand removed pretty easily.

There aren't any preventative sprays that will control these mobile insects, so be watchful. Most of them can be blasted off the plant with water from a hose. Be very cautious about applying any pesticide to plants you are going to eat. And always carefully follow the label directions on pesticides.

Q: Some of my citrus fruit has turned brown on the outside. What causes this?

This is caused by citrus rust mites, tiny insects that insert their mouthpieces into the peel. They don't really damage the fruit itself. The fruit just ends up being unsightly.

You can keep them from getting a foothold by spraying the fruit off periodically with a strong stream of water from the hose. This will knock the insects off the fruit and hopefully damage them, too. You can also use a lightweight horticultural oil, which will smother the insects.