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Pests
Citrus Leaf Miner on Lemon Tree
Commonly affects: Citrus limon (Lemon Tree)
Silvery, winding trails appear tunnelled through the leaf surface, with affected leaves sometimes curling or becoming distorted.
Potential Causes
- 1Citrus leaf miner larvae tunnelling within the leaf tissue, mostly affecting new, tender growth
- 2More active during warm months when new flush growth is actively produced
- 3Mainly a cosmetic issue on mature trees, though it can stress young trees more significantly
Solution Steps
- 1Prune off and destroy heavily affected new growth to reduce the leaf miner population
- 2Apply neem oil to new flush growth as a preventive measure, since it disrupts the leaf miner's egg-laying and larval development
- 3Encourage natural parasitic wasps, which are effective natural predators of citrus leaf miner in outdoor settings
- 4Accept some cosmetic damage on mature, otherwise healthy trees, since it rarely causes serious harm at that stage
Prevention Tip
Citrus leaf miner mainly targets soft new growth â timing neem oil applications to coincide with new flush growth is the most effective prevention.
