Citrus Leaf Miner. I've posted several times on our forum about this awful pest in California. So, search our forum for "citrus leaf miner" or "CLM" and you'll see my past posts and links to treatment modalities.

Patty S.

I'm having an awful time with these too! They actually damaged not on only the new leaves on my pink lemon, but the stems too. Has anyone else seen stem damage on their trees?

Yes, if you've got new flush or water sprouts, the stems can be tender enough for the little buggers to damage tender green stems.

Patty S.

From the Univ of CA
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74137.html

Here is a link that might be useful: citrus leafminer from UC

Jerks! I hate these things.

jean001a: Thanks for the link.

Interesting to note that the "official" recommendation is to leave it alone. Since I have other plants to tend to, I'll do just that.

Also this from that website: Summer heat in the inland areas of California seems to suppress leafminer populations, but in cooler coastal areas, the insect population may remain high from summer through fall.

My area is hot in the summer, we've been experiencing high 90s. Yet the miners have been pretty active, as evidenced by my photos above.

when you have new leaves starting to grow, keep an eye out for this. you can use spinosad to kill them.

Newgen, I would still spray with the combo of Spinosad and either Neem or Volk once your temps drop back down to the 80's. Spray in the evening. If temps continue to stay warm, you will continue to see damage in your newer leaves. Yes, this disease is mostly cosmetic, but it can really stunt the growth of young plants, not to mention make them look pretty ugly. Next season, start your spraying at the beginning of July, then spray every 3 weeks for 3 to 4 applications. You have a particularly bad infestation - looks like all of the new growth on your Oro Blanco has been damaged.

Patty S.

OK, I'll go find Spinosad. That really does look ugly.
Thanks,

I'll bet that I'm the only one that finds the patterns they make fascinating. Yours are especially remarkable.

OK. I'll shut up now.

I replanted a new Myers Lemon and a Bearrs Lime in whisky barrels two weeks ago. I have been looking at them almost daily since I just repotted them. The lime started shooting out lots of new branches with leaves last week and BAM! overnight pretty much every leaf on it has a new maze on it. The lemon next to it has older leaves so it wasn�t affected. Those little buggers are quick.

Is this the moth that produces the leaf miner?
{{gwi:613994}}
{{gwi:613995}}

Nope... that ain't the critter... CLM moth is a tiny little thing... here's a link to see it.

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/enpp/ento/clm.html

Here is a link that might be useful: link to CLM moth foto

Goodness, no :-) The CLM moth is teeny, tiny! John gave you a good link. If you look closely in your leaves in the tunnels, you can spot the larvae and squish it, if you are so inclined. Bayer Advanced Fruit & Citrus Control (Imidaloprid) will take care of this, or spraying with a combination of either Neem or Volk Oil and Spinosad, as I've mentioned in one of my previous messages.

Patty S.

Haha, thanks!

I've got leafminers all over my three citrus trees, just like yours. They attacked about two weeks ago, and all of the new folliage is affected. I understand that most of the damage is cosmetic, but I might buy Spinosad if it persists.

- Aaron

Since my last post I went out and purchased a spray bottle of Bayer Advanced Rose and Flower Insect Killer. It lists leaf miners among the bugs it kills. I had to wait until the temperature cooled down enough to use it.

In the last week my Meyer lemon next to the effected lime started shooting new leaves on every branch, a good sign. Tonight I was letting my dogs out and decided to walk over and check out the progress of the Meyer and saw a tiny 3mm or so moth flying near it. I got him then I flicked one of the branches on the lemon tree and about a dozen more flew out of the end of the branch. I flicked the other branches and got more of the same.

Well I went and got the spray and hit the tree and my lime as well. I rechecked it an hour later and didn't see any more. I hope I wasn't too late. My poor lime tree looks terrible. It hasn't grown any since. My two Calamanece trees or my Navel orange have not been attacked so far but I will keep an eye out.