An ongoing list of common citrus tree pests and how to eliminate them. As this is my first time growing citrus trees, I have limited first hand experience dealing with most pests, so I’m keeping this here for the inevitable need and will be updating as I go.

Fungus gnats: harmless swarms will come and go and they aren’t necessarily a sign of anything bad, they’re inevitable when there’s excessive moisture in the soil. While they’re not strong fliers and don’t bite, they’re still a nuisance. You can control or eliminate them by using both sticky traps and diatomaceous earth together, along with letting soil dry out completely between waterings. Two years into growing the seedlings inside my apartment with occasional fungus gnat infestations, the best solution I’ve found is a combination of Mosquito Bits used for watering (kills larvae in the soil) and a lot of strategically placed sticky traps to trap the adults when possible. Mosquito Bits specifically work faster than mosquito dunks, even though they have the same ingredient.

Spider mites: these are more likely to be a problem on more mature plants, they’re a little harder to get rid of than fungus gnats. They are extremely small, smaller than a pinhead, so you’ll have to look at the leaves very closely to see them. Gently wipe the tops and bottoms of every leaf with insecticidal soap or Neem oil; expect do do more than one round of this for multiple days. Insecticidal soap works best for soft bodied insects and works quickly to reduce infestations, and somewhat gentler on leaves than neem oil. Diluting Neem oil with water will help prevent leaf burning, along with washing off the leaves with a clean damp towel to mimic rainfall. Neem oil has a really strong odor, and while it’s generally non-toxic and safe to use on fruits and vegetables grown for consumption, avoid splashing it on your face and wash your hands thoroughly after handling neem oil products.

Thrips:

I have not experienced this pest as of this writing so I’m leaving these resources here just in case:

https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/citrus/Citrus-Thrips/

https://www.thegreenpinky.com/best-insecticides-thrips/

Scale:

I have not experienced this pest as of this writing so I’m leaving these resources here just in case:

https://www.fruitsaladtrees.com/pages/citrus-scale

https://www.reddit.com/r/Citrus/comments/14y33o4/scale_treatment/

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/citrus/controlling-citrus-scale.htm

https://www.finegardening.com/article/controlling-scales-a-common-pest-of-fruit-trees

Citrus Leafminer:

I have not experienced this pest as of this writing so I’m leaving these resources here just in case: