Just to give everyone an update on the pheromone trap, it seems like it's working pretty well. It's definitely catching the males. I don't know if it's helping deplete the offspring by reducing the male population, but I'm definitely catching them. I'm surprised to see how small they are though. They aren't very big for the amount of destruction that they cause.

Phillip

I don't have 2L bottles, but I used some 12 oz water bottles--it has trapped a few, maybe half a dozen in each bottle, but maybe bigger would work better by giving off a stronger stream of CO2. I will try to find a few 2 L bottles and try again.

As for the miners, have you been able to see the larvae when they are inside the leaf-- near the end they are pretty big--almost 1/8 inch--easily seen with the naked eye and easily smashed with your finger rubbing over them-- they do seen to get smaller when they become a pupa.

Thanks--I am sure the traps will get a good test here--there are plenty of CLM and they are hard to control because of all the rainfall that washes away any sprays.

I've had a ISCA CLM pheromone trap up in a potted grapefruit tree for over a month. It took 4 days before I started seeing results, small light brown objects stuck to the floor of the trap. I had 8 at 4 days, 28 at 2 weeks. They stopped coming for a few weeks, but when I checked recently the count was up to over 50. They are all identical in size and color, so I have to assume they are CLM.

Interestingly, the trap is about 3 feet from a Flowtron Bug Zapper placed there to attract the very same pest. The CLM are very small and hard to spot flying around, and I've never been able to see any at the Bug Zapper...this seems to prove that they aren't attracted to the untraviolet light, at least not in noticeable quantities. Whereas, most moths and other night flying creatures(including praying mantises...but I have plastic netting around the Bug Zapper to exclude larger insects) are enamored with the light, can't seem to get enough of it.

Does anyone know how wide an area one trap will cover? I have some small citrus 15 feet away and two of them have the leaf miner. Do I need to hang another trap there?

John

I put one out just a few weeks ago--it easily had a 100 in just a day or so, and is probably well over 500 now--I counted 55 in just one grid square. Most are found in the first two inches of the ends of the trap, but there are some all over. I think it has significantly reduced the damage from miners--even better than oil I normally use but had to give up on this yr because of so much rain.

In one of the links above it says Tree & Shrub Insect Control by Bayer can be used and its only used once a month. Its systemic and you just pour it into the soil.

Has anyone tried this and why is it not as favored as the sprays and traps?

The Key word there is non-bearing---since it is systemic and last for more than a yr, you would not want to be eating it in your fruit.

Are leaf miners seasonal? I had a CLM a few weeks ago but now that its cooler and my trees aren't putting out as much new growth the problem has subsided a bit. I'd like to try the traps but is this something I'll need year round or during certain times of the year?

Miners are seasonal--at least in temperate climates. Usually the first flush of the yr is miner free, the second flush is usually the first one affected and then the third flush is most affected.

What months do these flushes usually occur?

First flush is usually Feb/Mar, 2nd in Jun/Jul and 3rd Sept/Oct more or less.