How to Kill Leaf Miners on Citrus Trees
Leaf miners are the larvae of a variety of insects such as moths, beetles and flies. Citrus leaf miner are the most common type to infect fruit trees. The moth's larvae tunnels through a fruit tree's leaf to create a serpentine-like mine or splotch. During a heavy infestation, the fruit tree leaves will lose color, appear bleached or start to curl. The result is injury to stems and fruit. It's important to exterminate leaf miners to restore the health to your fruit tree. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Foliar insecticide
- Insecticide
- Sharp pruners
- Denatured alcohol
- Fertilizer
- Traps
Instructions
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1
Prune off any infected branches with sharp pruners. Dip the pruners in a mixture of 10 percent denatured alcohol and water. Be sure to clean pruners between each cut to avoid spreading the larvae.
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2
Cut off suckers and water spouts. Suckers grow from the rootstock along the trunk. They not only take away the tree's nutrients, but they also produce the least desirable fruit. Water spouts quickly grow from branches and are attractive to leaf miners.
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3
Dilute an insecticide that contains imidacloprid with water according to the label. Water the young citrus tree with the insecticide. Newly planted citrus trees or trees younger than three years react better to the insecticide than mature trees. Reapply the insecticide a few weeks after the first application.
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4
Spray citrus tree with a foliar insecticide. These treatments generally need to be reapplied every three weeks because moths will lay eggs on new growth.
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5
Hang a trap baited with moth pheromones at chest height near your citrus trees. These traps are effective during the summer and fall months when the moths are at their peak. Check the traps weekly for moths.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your tree well watered and fertilized to restore health to the damaged tree.
Avoid pruning your citrus tree more than once a year to keep the time period of new growth or flushing short.
