How to deal with Citrus Leaf Miner Pests

Those spiral white lines and curled leaves on the lime or lemon tree look bad and every time I see that I try to figure out whether it's sick or it's just how it is. Well after studying it for a while, it's not normal at all, it's actually a pest called the citrus Leaf miner that is doing this to the plant.

These small moths lay eggs and the larvae create tunnels. It is cosmetic in a way and for a healthy tree, there is not much of an issue but you should still take care of it just I'm case.

The larvae really likes the warm weather and the new growth that comes along with the rain.

What will you need to do to better manage the invasion?

To better manage the invasion, the best trick is to prune the tree early, by early I mean right before the rainy season. If you do this and do it well, it causes the leaves to gain a bit of maturity. Any new growth at this point can be maintained by using fertilizer, but in moderation because never forget that the fresh growth will most likely attract the pests.

The main problem is that the larvae tend to create these swirling tunnels that are damaging to the leaves but of course they are not damaging enough to warrant cutting them off, because the tree needs them to photo synthesize.

If anyone asks me, cutting the leaves should be last resort in most situations. And I'll say it's only to prevent the spread of the infection. If it can be managed, always keep the leaves so the plant can grow well.

Like I said in the video, those pests are not so dangerous that you can touch them, you can kill them by smashing with your fingers. But I'll probably wear gloves because ewwwwww.

If you don't want to kill it that way, you can manage it by a proper spray, but is best managed in the evening when the pests are most active.