Until recently, a healthy lemon tree weakens and grows worse, leaves on young shoots become smaller. With such symptoms, it’s time for the plant owner to think that the cause is a shield on a lemon, and how to get rid of the intruder?
How to detect the presence of this pest on the indoor tree? Unlike other insects, crawling or flying, the adult female is almost motionless. But this does not at all prevent her from causing serious damage to the special features of young plants.
At first glance, the shield on the lemon is not at all easy to find, because it looks like a small wax-like growth from 3 to 5 mm in size. Depending on the type of pests are located on the back of the leaves, on the side shoots and trunk, that is, everywhere where you can firmly attach to the surface.
Without proper attention, scutes on a lemon multiply rapidly and, sucking the juice from the shoots and leaves, weaken the plant.
Why do lemon leaves turn yellow? There are several reasons for this. In the process of life, insects secrete a sticky substrate, gradually covering everything around. Honeydew not only helps to detect the pest, it:
- closes the stomata on the leaf plates and thus disrupts the tissue respiration process;
- becomes a breeding ground for the sooty fungus, whose presence is detected by the characteristic black spots on the leaf plates and young stems.
How to get rid of scarab on a lemon? The solid shield reliably hides the insect from the attentive eyes of a person, helps to mask itself and seriously complicates the fight against the pest. It is because of such armor treatment with insecticides does not give the desired results. In addition, at room culture several species are parasitic, differing in size and appearance. Some of these pests are quarantine, but may reside in a country with fruit or houseplants.
To get rid of the scarab on a lemon, it must be detected as early as possible and mechanically removed adult insects.
Pests live in colonies located on the stems and rear parts of the leaves. Sometimes it is possible to identify the shield insects on the ovaries. Therefore, it is these areas that are particularly carefully examined.
Places of attachment of flaps on a lemon are rubbed with an alcohol-containing liquid, and then the whole plant is treated with a systemic insecticide. One procedure is not enough. Since the plant may contain pests of varying degrees of development, the treatment is repeated a couple more times with an interval of 7–10 days.
lives in the country As a preventive measure, the citrus fruit must:
- monitor the cleanliness of the soil under the plant;
- in time to cut off dead and weakened shoots, especially attracting pests;
- to treat cuts and other wounds with garden pitch;
- arrange a monthly quarantine for all new plants or crops that have returned to the window sill from the summer “vacation” in the garden.
By adhering to these simple rules, you can not only seriously reduce the risk of the appearance of shield insects on a lemon, but also protect green pets from being attacked by other dangerous insects:
- false shield;
- flies-miners;
- aphids;
- gall flies;
- mealybugs;
- spider mite.
A reduction in the conditions of citrus keeping contributes to a decrease in growth rates, yellowing and abscission of foliage, and the rejection of fruiting.
For example, excessive dry air in a room leads to the multiplication of a spider mite. A microscopic pest is no less dangerous than a scarab on a lemon, but you can get rid of it in similar ways, using home remedies and modern acaricides. True, it is important to correct care errors.
In addition to insects and ticks, harmful fungi and pathogenic bacteria attempt on lemon health. These pathogens of lemon are spread with water droplets, wind, or fall on healthy specimens from already infected plants. A significant role in the distribution and reproduction rate of microorganisms is created by the conditions of detention.
A brown, black or gray spots are formed on the leaves and fruits of the affected lemon, the fabrics on which gradually die off:
- leaves fade and fall off;
- shoots stop growing, become weak, unviable;
- fruits lose quality or fall on the ovary stage.
Homemade lemon diseases caused by pathogenic microflora and fungi are treatable with fungicides, but it is very important to tidy up the culture and return it to proper conditions. In order for a homemade lemon to recover faster after an illness, all buds and flowers, as well as unripe fruits, are removed from it. Be sure to carry out sanitary pruning, and after completion of treatment are fed.
