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ncrixz

Help a lemon tree. Recently these white substance appear

ncrixz
9 years ago

I am living in Saudi arabia. People living in this house have planted this lemon tree. After they left the house we took it. This tree was good at that time and gives to many lemon. But recently this white substance started appearing on three branches, on lemons.I have posted other images in the below url. I am so much worried. i love this tree Please help me out Please.

http://imgur.com/GKIT2Kp

Comments (13)

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    Looks like whitefly; I have no idea if that pest exists in SA. Wash the leaves off daily for a while--you need to get the eggs as well as the adult pests. Just use a hard spray of water, especially the underside of the leaves. You could add a few ml of vegetable oil per liter of water. The water will help to smother the pests. This pest can be easily controlled, but you have to pay attention and take care of it as soon as it appears.

  • axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
    9 years ago

    I don't think they are whitefly.
    I bet for mealybugs:

    http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107300511.html

    Here is a link that might be useful: mealybugs

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    Could be mealies; use a spray of rubbing alcohol 50% with water and spray daily. Keep spraying several after the infestation appears gone to kill any eggs left behind.

  • ncrixz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    axier:

    You are correct. After reading the link it matches all the points described in the article. I will see what i can do. Mean time if you come up with any easy solution please do write here. And Thanks for the help

  • ncrixz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    hoovb:

    Thanks Man. I will see where i can get rubbing alcohol.

  • johnmerr
    9 years ago

    Looks like you have a rather serious fungal problem, which may be what the bugs are feeding on. I too thought they were mealy bugs; but hard to say without close-ups. Could also be wooly aphids; but they tend to feed more on new leaves. After you have gotten rid of the bugs, I would give your tree a cleansing and apply a good fungicide.

  • jean001a
    9 years ago

    The black stuff on the leaves is sooty mold.

    It's a fungus that feeds on the sticky stuff (honeydew) excreted by the insects (the mealybugs) which are feeding on the tree.

    An occasional harsh water spray will help wash off the black fungus and may help limit the mealybugs.

    Insecticidal soap -- if it's available in your country -- will do an even better job of limiting both the sooty mold and the insects.

  • axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
    9 years ago

    Ncrixz, imidacloprid is a good solution for mealybugs and aphids, but take into account that it is a systemic insecticide. If you have fruit, wait for some weeks before you eat them, giving time for the insecticide disappears from the sap.
    After bugs "go away", apply a fungicide for mold.

    This post was edited by axier on Sat, Aug 23, 14 at 6:30

  • ncrixz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Guys after searching i only found rubbing Alcohol 70% Shall i use it on my tree ?

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    9 years ago

    Yes, ncrixz, Isopropyl alcohol 70% is your plain old "rubbing alcohol" that you would use the cleanse the skin prior to an injection. You'll want to cut it in 1/2 with water: 1 part rubbing alcohol + 1 part water. Put into a large spray container and follow hoovb's instructions. First,though, what I would do is examine your tree more closely, to see why it has such a bad infestation. Mealy bugs, whiteflies and aphids will attack a tree that is stressed. The tree does not look to be in good shape. So, I would first, tackle the root problem. I would make sure the tree is pruned carefully to open up the canopy a little bit, to improve air flow inside the tree. Prune out any dead wood. Prune dead or crossing/congested branches down to the branch or trunk it emanates from, but don't cut into the branch collar (that's the little flare where the branch first emanates from the trunk). Remove any debris from under the tree. Prune out any branches that are touching the ground. Make sure your tree is being watered and fertilized regularly. Then, take a hose and spray it down with a strong stream of water, to knock off as many mealy bugs as possible. Then, treat the tree. If you decide to go with a 1:1 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water, or, with insecticidal soap spray, do it in the evening, when your air temps are lower, and the sun is not beating down on the tree. You can also consider treating the tree systemtically with Imidacloprid. That would be a soil application, watered in. The tree will absorb the insecticide which will then be transferred to the leaves, and thus kill the insects. You may only need one application of Imidacloprid, and then if you take very good care of the tree, and improve its status (not stressed), it may be able to stay bug-free in the future.

    Patty S.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    9 years ago

    Looks like an Indian wax scale to me.

  • johnmerr
    9 years ago

    Good call, Dave. When you enlarge the photo, that is exactly what it looks like; and that pest has recently been found in Saudi Arabia.

  • axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
    9 years ago

    Patty, although not a topic started by me, I am compelled to thank you your dedicated time to explain in such detail and how useful for me and, surely, many of the silent readers of this forum.
    Before stepping on in any post of this forum, I read a lot of them, and I learned a lot with your extensive and wise explanations.
    Thank you!