Citrus Growers Forum

ilovecitrus · Posted: Mon 04 Jan, 2010 3:06 am

Does anyone know what these gross bugs on my kaffir lime tree are? They are all over. I pulled most off and came back from christmas and more had appeared.
Also does anyone know what happened to some of my fruit and leaves on my myer lemon tree? I think it might be from my tree falling over in the hot summer from a big gust of wind and maybe getting burnt... but i'm not sure. As some of the small fruit get bigger they split open where this stuff is on the fruit.

Junglekeeper · Posted: Mon 04 Jan, 2010 3:41 am

Looks like cottony cushion scale.

_________________
Indoor Grower

jrb · Posted: Mon 04 Jan, 2010 3:42 am

The bugs are cotton cushiony scale.

_________________
Jim

Sylvain · Posted: Mon 04 Jan, 2010 6:55 am

> Looks like cottony cushion scale.
Yes they are. In french we say Australian scale. I don't know if it's true.

The third picture looks like sun burn.

ilovecitrus · Posted: Mon 04 Jan, 2010 10:58 pm

How do I get ride of these bugs? Where do they come from? I used Volk( I can't remember the name) it is an oil that millet suggested. I used it not to long ago and my lime has these scale bugs and my larger myer has TONS of spidermites that I just noticed to day. I wonder if my problem is that I only spray once every couple of months.

Steve · Posted: Tue 05 Jan, 2010 6:57 am

Sylvain wrote:

Yes they are. In french we say Australian scale. I don't know if it's true.

Well, we in Germany call it "wollige Sackschildlaus" or "Sackschildlaus" or "australische Sackschildlaus"...
So from that point, less doupt that the french name isn't true...

Quote:

The third picture looks like sun burn.

Yes, looks like.

The second picture looks like scars, this can be happen if the fruit is rubbing agains something during wind. Not hard, not strong, less and tender. Usually these are the spines of the twigs.
Isn't something realy serious, just looks not nice.

ilovecitrus wrote:

How do I get ride of these bugs? Where do they come from? I used Volk( I can't remember the name) it is an oil that millet suggested. I used it not to long ago and my lime has these scale bugs and my larger myer has TONS of spidermites that I just noticed to day. I wonder if my problem is that I only spray once every couple of months.

so many question at one time... OK let's see..

You get rid of the bugs by spraying them with a soap - denatured alcohol solution. If you need a recipe, just ask.
Well, they come from - other infested plants. Usually they grow and survive in greenhouse, as even some pathologists guess, that those scales survive in greenhouses of botanical gardens in areas were they won't survive the winter, and during summer, when those greenhouses open doors and windows, these bugs start to infiltrate larger areas. Most of them die in winter, but some get on the right plant and with it in shelter... and so they start moving on.
So the oil spray might also help, so kill this bug.

All pests get only in high populations if natural enemies and other limiting factors are not present, like rain, wind or even temperature and humidity changes. You will find, that this matches well with greenhouses and winter conservatories, and that's why trees in those locations are more prone to heavy infestations.
So it's good to control the trees before they get back indoors, and if possible: Just give them a oil or soap spray, to get rid of any pest which get unnoticed in. Just to prevent heavy infestations.
controll the plants more often, and react as soon as possible, and if you got an outbreak, consider plants close to the infested plant as even infested and spray it too

_________________
Eerh, hmm, uuuh, oooh, just guessing Wink

ilovecitrus · Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 3:04 am

Yes I would like a recipie if you have one

Steve · Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 4:22 am

Sure.
The cheapest one is as followed:

Add 30 gramm of natural soap (soft soap) to a pint of warm water and mix well. Now add 30 mililitre (about 2 Spoons) of denatured alcohol, mix well again und spray.

The alcohol helps to attack the waxy coat of many insects, and the soap diverts the adhesion of the water molecules, so ther insect will became fully covered with water.
Most insects have breath tubes, so small, that a drop of water will not enter, because the adhesion of the water molecules is to large, as to let a molecule get loose and enter the breath tube (trachea) of the insect.
The soap in water comes apart the aadhesion of the molecules, so the insect will get wet througly and the not anymore adhered water molecules enter now the breating tubes of the insect, plug them and the insect will die.

So this requires a spray periode of several days, mainly in the morning or evening, because sunlight will quickly inactivate the soap and the heat evaporated the alcohol, making this mixture ineffective.

I use it regulary, it prevents most heavy pest infestations, but you realy have to wetten the tree very good. So don't spare with this solution. If you only used natural indigreeds, there is nothing what may pollute the environment, so get rid of f the bugs and give them a very, very heavy dose. I call this a full broadside!

A word of caution: If you use this in cold, maybe because in a very cold greenhouse or conservatory, the alcohol might cause leaf damage, like hail specks or little sunburn scars.
Best, if air temperature is around 50° F to avoid this.
Also do not use in full sunlight. This might cause the soap to damage the leaf.. I do not know why, but this was reported, so I better give this word of caution, as to damage the tree.

_________________
Eerh, hmm, uuuh, oooh, just guessing Wink