Please look at the attached images. My mature orange tree continually has poor new leaf growth and they are always distorted. I'm assuming its some sort of pest that I cannot get rid of. Any idea what pest this may be? Its been a year since the tree grew "normal" leaves and its starting to look dainty. It has a full load of fruit on it, so i know the tree is still healthy, but i'm trying to get "regular" leaves to grow without any luck.
ugh leaf miners ! horid things that anyone who grows citrus will encounter here in the states.
They're a caterpillar that lives (and eats) under the "skin" of the leaf. This makes it difficult to apply any insecticide as they are under a protective cover. As they multiply they get into all the leaves and the tree suffers.
cali41
There is a spray to deal with it but honesty only needs to be used on very young (small) trees. The chemical in it is called Spinosad and not something I want in my OJ ! But leaf miners can kill small trees not so much large trees they just make them look ugly.
