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ernie85017

Pomegranate loss

The leaf footed bugs invaded big time this year and now my pomegranates are dropping one by one.

Next year, I will kill the beasts. The pomegranates were the biggest I have ever had.

Grrrrr

Comments (17)

  • Fascist_Nation
    9 years ago

    Do leaf-footed bugs cause poms to drop? The outer layer of arils next to the skin to rot yes.

    Fighting them isn't easy. Ba$%ards!

  • ernie85017, zn 9, phx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I read that they pierce the fruit with their "mouthparts". This results in the black areas you find when cutting them open. The area then splits and their babies move in!
    All the ones I have lost had this damage. All they are good for is to cut away the black and give the rest to the chickens. At least they are happy.

  • kevininphx
    9 years ago

    I have this same problem - what are you supposed to do? Spray with chemicals on something you'd like to eat . . . think not!

    But the bastards just keep returning - if I spray the tree off they just fly to the next-nearest bush and wait until I have left. Killing individuals one by one is NOT realistic either - I just give up and see what turns out OK VS. all the cracked/spotted fruits . . . ugh, so irritating!

  • azbolt
    9 years ago

    My pom trees are infested with these nasty bugs too, I get maybe one good pom out of 10...the other 9 get fed to the chickens. They look good too, until you cut them open. I squish a few of them here and there, but it does no good. If anyone comes up with a good plan of attack for these bugs, please share!

    Kevin

  • ernie85017, zn 9, phx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I tried spraying individuals (bugs) but was using the wrong chemical. I would go out as close to daily as I could. I think I will do this next year. The chemicals I read that work are: permethrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate. A spreader sticker was recommended as well. I will use a pinpoint spray and get the bug only as much as possible. Their exoskeleton protects them from sprays.

    The Only caution was to observe the time-to-harvest. Supposedly after time in inactivates.
    I can't find anything more on whether it soaks into the fruit, just the time-to-harvest info.

    I put so much care into that tree, only to have them ruined.

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    Good luck guys. Fruit trees are always a difficult one.

    Wouldn't hurt to release some lacewing larvae/eggs. Those guys are pretty voracious and eat all sorts of pests eggs. Might want to also plant some flowers that will attract the beneficial insects mentioned on the UC IPM website.

    Kevin

    Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf footed bug

    This post was edited by woohooman on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 12:18

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    edit: double post

    This post was edited by woohooman on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 12:19

  • kevininphx
    9 years ago

    Good suggestions woohooman - I will give the lacewings a shot this coming spring - we just harvested the fruit today and we still got a decent amount of fruit that is good

    I did notice that if I remove the area around where any penetrating damage is done, the rest of the fruit is mostly good.

    {{gwi:423051}}

    just double checking for bugs!
    {{gwi:423052}}

  • newtoucan
    9 years ago

    I have the same problem. In 4-5 yrs, I've managed to get maybe one good pomegranate. This yr, i see them I spray with ammonia and they die. Damage is usually done though by the time I spot them. I've put large organza bags over them which helps a little.

    I had a flush of new poms grow after the monsoons. Any hope they will ripen?

  • newtoucan
    9 years ago

    I have the same problem. In 4-5 yrs, I've managed to get maybe one good pomegranate. This yr, i see them I spray with ammonia and they die. Damage is usually done though by the time I spot them. I've put large organza bags over them which helps a little.

    I had a flush of new poms grow after the monsoons. Any hope they will ripen?

  • kevininphx
    9 years ago

    I've never had any fruit set that late in season on my small tree. . . flowers in spring which fruit and mature over the summer

  • ernie85017, zn 9, phx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Kevin,
    Were those ripe already? Usually mine aren't ready until December.

    Toucan: AMMONIA? Do you see them die right away? I need to write this down.

  • newtoucan
    9 years ago

    Ammonia or ammonia based household cleaner does seems to work. With other sprays, they fly or crawl away and come right back. One or two sprays of ammonia and they fall off. I don't see them coming back. I was told they lay eggs in the mulch or litter on the ground so to keep that swept up but that's impossible for me since I have a lot of mulch. I was really considering removing my poms due to this bug. Hope this helps.

  • Fascist_Nation
    9 years ago

    Looks to me the techniques used to eliminate squash bugs works on leaf footed bugs. Of course, the techniques that work on squash bugs are a daily task.

    http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74168.html

    http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/forum/topics/overrun-with-squash-bugs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT5exU7yEtU#t=24

  • kevininphx
    9 years ago

    they are actually quite red and juicy so i believe they are - we have harvested second or third week of November the last two years but pulled them yesterday because of the bugs and birds

  • ernie85017, zn 9, phx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Toucan:

    The ammonia worked! It doesn't seem to have injured the plant, either.

    Watch out next year, you evil bugs.

    I am so sad my fruit has been ruined. I took such good care of that tree this year.

  • iandyaz
    9 years ago

    I don't know how feasible this is with a large pomegranate tree but my solution to squash bugs with my pumpkins/squash is row covers. I only cover them during the mating portion of their season (late May to early July) and that keeps them off for the rest of the season.

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