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The lemon miner or leaf miner, of scientific name Phyllocnistis citrella, is a micro moth whose larvae parasitize citrus leaves. It is a relatively difficult pest to control, since by its nature it is difficult to attack the larva while feeding on the leaves from inside the galleries it has created.
It is one of the most common pests that attack citrus fruits and, therefore, also one of the most feared, since they can seriously damage citrus fruits by feeding on the juices and not allowing them to give new shoots, leaves or fruits. In Spain it caused, in 93, one of the most serious plagues that the cultivation of these fruit trees has suffered in the country. If you want to learn how to combat citrus minerJoin us in this Green Ecologist article in which you will see various remedies, as well as ways to prevent it.
How is the citrus miner
The adult female of the insect is a gray moth or silver about half a centimeter in length. It makes its laying on the buds in formation of the plant and, when the eggs hatch, the little larva works its way into the underside of the leaf.
The eggs are transparent and very difficult to see with the naked eye, so it is easier to identify the pest by the galleries and the easily identifiable string of defecations that the larva leaves on the leaves as it advances feeding. When it has grown enough, it forms a pupa near the outside of the leaf and causing the leaf to fold over the pupa. A few days later the adult comes out, ready to start the life cycle of the citrus miner.
If the pest is not too aggressive, it is most likely that the treatment against citrus leaf miner It occurs completely naturally, because these insects have their own natural predators. If it is a serious pest, however, we will have to take measures to avoid further damage to the crop.
Neem oil
The Neem or Nim oil It's one of the natural and ecological insecticides most used in the treatment of all types of pests. One of its main advantages is that it has a long permanence in the plant, of around 3 weeks, so that in addition to eliminating the miner, it will avoid the attack of other suckers. Dilute between 3 and 5 ml per liter of water and water the plant with it.
Natural predators of the citrus leaf miner
Resort to biological control of citrus miner It is a great option in case of large crops. You can resort to lacewings or to wasp Diglyphus isaea. In any case, these are effective but expensive treatments that are rarely used in small crops or gardens. There is also the Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that preys on caterpillars or larvae.
Here you can learn more about what is biological pest control, its advantages, disadvantages and examples.
Common mosquito bird
The common mosquito bird (Phylloscopus collybita) is another example of a natural predator, although we mention it separately because it is a bird, and not other insects or bacteria. This little bird feeds on citrus miner larvae, which knows how to extract from within the leaf without problems, as it is one of his favorite delicacies.
Potassium soap for the miner
Potassium soap is another ecological insecticide widely used against all types of pests, since it is not toxic and is biodegradable and innocuous. Use the potassium soap for the miner it is no different from any other pest.
- Dilute it in water to a concentration between 1 and 2%.
- Spray it all over the plant, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves.
- Apply it once a week for a month, at dawn or dusk and if possible, without wind or rain.
Here we tell you everything about How to make potassium soap and how to use it.
Pepper
Pepper is another good treatment against citrus leaf miner. This is how to prepare the pepper for the lemon miner and other citrus:
- Boil some black pepper seeds in a saucepan for about 20 minutes, until it reaches a good dissolution.
- Make sure to ventilate the kitchen well while you do it, and let it cool afterwards, finally straining it.
- Apply the infusion with a spray on the affected branches and leaves.
Apichi
This is a insecticide for citrus miner very powerful, which is prepared with several already very powerful ingredients separately. To make apichi for the miner you will need: unground black pepper, garlic and chili peppers as hot as possible, as well as 96º alcohol.
- In a blender or blender, blend the chiles slowly until they form a smooth paste, being very careful not to touch it and then touch your eyes.
- Then add the same amount of garlic also crushed and finally the crushed pepper, in half the amount of the other two ingredients.
- Add the same weight of alcohol as chili and stir well to let it marinate overnight.
- The next morning, dilute it in water at a ratio of 20 parts water to every part of alcohol used. If you use tap water, let it sit for at least 48 hours beforehand.
- Cover and let it sit in the shade for two weeks and then filter the mixture.
- Dilute it again to 10% in water and you can now apply it with a spray on the citrus affected by the miner.
Chromatic traps
Another option that we recommend if you want to know how to kill the citrus miner is to use chromatic traps. The miner also has a predilection for the yellow color, so chromatic traps of this color are another great option that prevents us from contaminating the soil with chemicals, although they can also attract and trap other insects.
How to prevent citrus leaf miner
Besides knowing what to fight the citrus leafminer wormIt is very important to know how to prevent it in order to save the problem. For prevent citrus miner We recommend two important cares:
- If you keep your citrus fruit clean of adventitious plants in its surroundings, it will be more difficult for the pest to reach it.
- Similarly, a black mesh covering the base of the tree will make it difficult to continue the insect's life cycle, since the larvae will not be able to bury themselves when falling and will be susceptible to their natural predators.
Now that you know all this about the citrus miner or lemon tree miner, we advise you to learn more about the Pests and diseases of the lemon tree and the Pests and diseases of citrus fruits and their control.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to combat citrus miner, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
