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organicronnie

oleander pest

organicronnie
17 years ago

I was always under the impression that oleander (being

poisonous) had no natural pests.

For the past year, however, I have noticed huge

infestations on my oleander trees. (I live in San

Diego, about 5 miles from the ocean) Tiny little

yellow eggs, hundreds of them it seems, and if I don't

cut the infested branch away, within a few weeks, all

the leaves are eaten - not the veins, just the leaf

portion around the veins. And not just the branch that

was originally infested - sometimes the entire side of

a plant is gone.

OK, for those who hate oleanders, please don't bother saying good ridance! I like my oleander and rely on it as a privacy shrub. Is this some new kind of pest? I've not read about it, and

I usually do try to read local gardening publications.

Does whatever it is have any natural enemies? And also

- what to do about it! I've tried BT which seems to

help.

Thanks.

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