{"id":23588,"date":"2023-12-03T04:30:17","date_gmt":"2023-12-03T02:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.branchthetree.com\/?p=23588"},"modified":"2023-12-03T04:30:17","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T02:30:17","slug":"whats-eating-lemon-tree-leaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.branchthetree.com\/whats-eating-lemon-tree-leaves\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s Eating Lemon Tree Leaves"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lemon trees are known for their hardiness and regularly produce lemons year after year. However, there are several pests and diseases that can cause damage to lemon tree leaves. The most common suspects are caterpillars, scale insects, sooty mould, fungal diseases and sunburn. When these pests or diseases occur, they can cause severe damage to the leaves of the lemon tree, making them turn yellow and drop off.<\/p>\n

Caterpillars are a certain group of moths and butterflies that feed on the leaves and flowers of plants. They lay eggs near the base of the lemon tree, once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars start feeding off the leaves and flowers. This can cause the leaves to turn yellow, brown and die off. Caterpillars can be managed by using the biological control Bacillus thuringiensis (BT).<\/p>\n

Scale insects are small, immobile insects that form a protective cover over their bodies, commonly found in tropical and subtropical plants. They reproduce quickly and can cause serious damage to lemon trees by sucking the sap and nutrients from the leaves and stems. This can also cause the leaves to become yellow and die off. The best way to treat scale insects is to manually remove them from the tree, or to use insecticides.<\/p>\n

Sooty mould is a fungal infection that can cause a yellow-black mould on the leaves of the lemon tree. Sooty mould spores are spread by sap-sucking insects such as scale insects and aphids and can cause the leaves to become yellow and die off. The best way to treat sooty mould is to remove any sap-sucking insects and to try to maintain good air circulation around the tree.<\/p>\n