Content
- What to do if the lemon tree sticks?
- The causative agents are often scale insects
- What are scale lice and wool lice?
- Watch for ants!
- Combat plant lice
- Tips & Tricks
What to do if the lemon tree sticks?
Especially at the end of the winter break or at the beginning of the growing season you might notice sticky droplets on your lemon tree. The sticky, resinous liquid usually sits on the undersides of the leaves, but can also appear on shoots and branches. At the same time not only the lemon tree "sticks" more or less strongly, but also the surrounding floor.
The causative agents are often scale insects
The sticky droplets are the excretions of plant lice, mostly shield shells are the cause. In some cases, however, wool or lice are behind it. The excrements of the animals are called honeydew because it is a mainly sugary solution. The animals can hone the honeydew up to 15 centimeters, which is why sticky stains on the floor are not uncommon. In addition to these excretions, a soot-dewing fungus likes to settle, which covers the sheet in black, thus preventing it from assimilating. However, the soot thaw can easily be washed off with water.
What are scale lice and wool lice?
Scale insects usually sit along the pathways on the undersides of the leaves and on the shoots. Adult animals are immobile, they sit under an approximately two by three millimeters large, woody-looking shield. Only the white larvae, which are barely discernible to the naked eye, are able to move and prefer to attack neighboring plants as well.The whitish to pink wool and mealybugs are about four millimeters in size and are also found mainly on the undersides of leaves and shoot tips. All species are plant sap insects that must be removed - they rob the plant a lot of strength and can also multiply explosively.
Watch for ants!
A first indication of a lice infestation can be - especially in outdoor standing lemon trees - strikingly many ants. As soon as the small creatures live purposefully their lemon, shield lice are very often behind it. The ants love the sweet excrements of the lice and will eagerly endeavor to supply and defend the animals well. Therefore, an ant infestation is often associated with a hitherto undetected lice infestation.
Combat plant lice
The easiest way to combat shield and other plant lice is the chemical mace. In this case, however, you may no longer be able to use any existing fruits, and damage to the plant itself is not excluded. It would be better to brew the plant vigorously in the shower - but cover the pot with the potting soil well or put a plastic bag over it, so that not too much water gets there. Even a soapy water usually shows good effects. The treatment should be repeated several times every few days to kill all eggs and larvae.
Tips & Tricks
Smaller lemon trees can easily be dipped headfirst into a bucket of lukewarm water for a few hours - this will definitely kill the scale insects (and other perpetrators).