I have a 4ft orange (clementine) that has lots of insects all of it.?

Question

It hasn't been well since I bought it really, but I noticed 2 weeks ago lots of white small furry insects. They are near the leaves, and some around the stump, actually damaging the tree. Some leaves are very wet, sap? I bought a bug killer from a store, sprayed the plant, and a week later they're still there, they have also survived a second spraying.

Anyone know what they are? Pics to websites? and how can I get rid of them?

Thanks.

Answer 1

You have what sounds like mealybugs from the order Homoptera, which does include aphids, scale, whiteflies & cicadas. They are soft-bodied insects covered in a white powdery material. At maturity they vary from 1/5 to 1/3 of an inch in length. They are plant vampires, like aphids.
Treatment:
You can wash your plant with soapy water and a soft cloth. Use 2 teaspoons of mild detergent to one gallon of water. I have heard some people swear by plain Dawn.
Spray with a forceful stream of water. May not be great for a small or stressed tree.
You can also spray with an insecticidal soap to the point of runoff. (my favorite) Please read and follow all directions on the bottle.
The treatments will kill the insects but NOT the eggs so you have to repeat every two weeks until no more bugs appear.
Keep the plant watered, but don't drown it, and use a light (1/2 strength) application of 10-10-10 or similiar houseplant fertilizer once a month to every six weeks until the tree recovers. Too much fertilizer is bad. (If you find just 20-20-20 then use it at 1/4 strenght) And be sure to READ THE LABELS and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
You may contact me if you have any more questions.
You can also find your local university extension office or extension sponsored Master Gardener group and ask them for advice and help.

Answer 2

What you've described sounds very much like an insect called "Cottony Cushion Scale", and they are fond of citrus. Cottony Cushion Scale, in large numbers, will weaken your tree and cause leaves to fall off as well as the loss of entire limbs.

They are very easy to identify because of their large white egg sac (these are the females). The females will usually settle on the twigs and then lay their eggs. These eggs will hatch and become "crawlers" (normally red in color) and they will become established on the leaves where they'll eventually molt (shed their outer skin). These insects have about 3 generations a year.

The "wet" appearance that you're seeing is their excretion called "honeydew". This "honeydew" usually turns into a black sooty mold that attracts ants. Ants love the honeydew and will protect the scale insects from predators.

Since it sounds like you have quite an infestation, I'd recommend you go to one of your local hardware stores and find an oil that's called: "Ultra Fine Year-Round Oil". It's approved for use on citrus and does an outstanding job controlling scale and mites. Remember to clean up all the leaves under your tree before spraying and discard it properly to avoid further infestations. Make sure you spray the entire tree (undersides of leaves and trunk too). It may take several applications to get rid of your problem. Also make sure you don't have any delicate plants nearby when spraying, otherwise the oil might burn or kill them.

Another tip....try placing some ant traps at the base of the tree so they can't protect the scale from natural predators in the future.

Hope this information was of some help to you. GOOD LUCK in getting those pesky insects!

Answer 3

They're a type of aphids. You can try a 1:1 vinegar water mix and spray the leaves, making sure to get the underside, or go out and buy some aphid remover. The bugs are piercing into the plants veins and getting the sap out, that's why it seems wet.

Answer 4

Sounds like mealy bug or white fly. DO NOT spray your plant with vinegar, that would be a good way to kill it as vinegar is a natural herbicide. You can try spraying with oil soap and water, or get some Dysiston a potent systemic insecticide. As far as links go try your local Agricultural Extension office.

Good luck