r/GardeningAustralia • u/t3thla • Dec 13 '24
Who are these guys all over my lemon tree 🐜 ID This Bug
Im assuming they arent friendly?
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u/Sweaty_Activity_803 Dec 13 '24
I used my hose attachment for my car with hot soapy water and spray the entire tree, they fucken love it!
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u/CartographerUpbeat61 Dec 13 '24
Ohh yes this is the way to do it. Blast them . I like it ! Stinky horrible things.
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u/Simone-Ramone Dec 13 '24
Get Mavrik spray at bunnings
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u/Otherwise-Library297 29d ago
Even better to get a systemic insecticide- you can spread it around the base and it gets taken up through the roots. Kills them when they chew on the leaves.
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u/wentwiththeflow Dec 13 '24
Grab a cheap 5L pressure pump sprayer and dump 1L of white vinegar, 1L of Earth Choice dish soap and 1L of cooking oil. Add 500ml of water and shake well. Should go a milky white colour. Hit em directly with a good coating of this mix and they'll die quickly. The oily mix also stops their eggs sticking to the foliage so you'll get less of over time.
Check if your neighbours have citrus too. If the local area isn't treated, they'll keep coming for your trees.
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u/lifeDNP Dec 13 '24
I might try this. I’ve just been pruning branches off with the bugs and sticking it into a bucket of soapy water.
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u/woodsurfer Dec 13 '24
They look like stink bugs or something similar. Sap suckers that steal energy and nutrients from your plants.
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u/Psychedsymphony Dec 13 '24
Stink bugs, you’ll be able to smell. They will hurt your tree if untreated. Although iv never dealt with them personally I believe white oil would work to eradicate them. Quick and easy to make at home.
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u/Cleverredditname1234 Dec 13 '24
Pull them off every few days. To break the life cycle. Hard to kill when they are black because their carapace is strong. Keep dumping in soapy water and then the green orange and red off spring to break the breeding cycle.
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u/NotSheepy Dec 13 '24
These guys smashed my lemon after pruning it this year - going for the fresh shoots. They start off as small orange ones not longer after hatching and go dark, harden and develop wings as an adult.
I followed much of the advice off this sub and made a white oil mix with detergent, and sprayed it directly on the beetles about 3 times over a week. It was surprisingly effective - to the point where the spiders had moved in and made quick work of the survivors.
Get them now before they lay eggs all over your tree again - best advice I read was when its hot in the afternoon they are all grouped up and easy picking.
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u/weevilretrieval Dec 13 '24
I have 5 citrus trees in my backyard, and I've been trying to manage the infestation of these buggers for months. they are smaller and flatter in their nymph stage.
I have an ozito hand vacuum that comes with an attachment (I believe it's called a crevice tool), and i use that and they slot right in like coins. I spend about an hour, until the battery runs out, and by then the whole dust cup is full. I then tip it out into a plastic bag, and quickly tie it up. and I mean QUICKLY. because they will immediately try to escape.
also, with this method I definitely recommend wearing gardening gloves because sometimes they will hold on for dear life, and you have to give them a little push. also a face shield, or at least safety goggles and a mask. ive gotten their spray in my eyes before, and it is not fun.
obviously, I can't use the vacuum for anything else now cause the stench does not go away. but for $60, I'm happy with it. btw I recommend doing this between july and October. before they reach the final stage of maturity, and are much harder to vacuum up.
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u/nuxvomica14 Dec 13 '24
Wait til midday on a hot day, they will move to the trunk area of the tree to get cool. This way you can get them all at once. Spray them with water, detergent and peppermint oil.
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u/DamienMcC27 Dec 13 '24
What's the difference between stink bugs and crusader beetles? We've got a vine in our backyard surrounded on two sides by star jasmine and every year I battle these fuckers. They don't touch the star jasmine though.
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u/Otherwise-Library297 29d ago
Bronze orange bugs are a native beetle that likes citrus. Used to just stick to native citrus, but home garden citrus are easier targets
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u/oiransc2 Dec 13 '24
I have a shop vac that lives in the garage and have taken to vacuuming them. Much easier than drowning them.
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u/Upstairs-Praline-775 27d ago
I have many citrus trees. No way I can catch them one by one. I used Conguard from Searls . Active ingredient is imidaclopride. It is systemic, makes them disappear for 2 months.
Edit: used it after all blossoms are done and bees are not around.
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u/Funny-Bear Dec 13 '24
Stink bugs.
Some people tell you to pluck them off and drop them in a bucket of soapy water.
I am a little squeamish of picking up bugs. I just sprayed the tree with a can of mortein bug spray. It did the trick. I am not eating the fruit from my tree
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u/boganindenial Dec 13 '24
Wait then why spray the bugs if you don’t care about using it
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u/Ill-Staff8267 Dec 13 '24
Shelter shade tree perhaps. Fills in a space ect
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u/boganindenial Dec 13 '24
A heavy infestation won’t defoliate a tree, just affects fruit production and causes some leaf deformation
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u/dogatemydignity Dec 13 '24
You can still be squeamish of bugs without using a knockdown pesticide to kill every pest and beneficial insect in your yard.
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u/Famous-Courage-9534 Dec 13 '24
Bronze orange stink bugs.
They suck all the life out of your budding fruits and they spray a caustic, smelly concoction when bothered.
Put on some gloves, some goggles and some long tongs and put all the bastards into a bucket of hot, soapy water. Have no mercy. God speed spiderman