Can anyone ID this bug on my lemon? (forum)

MarkWhite starts with ...
Hi there - I've had a Eureka lemon for a couple of months and it's growing well - but this week I noticed a few leaves had patches eaten from them. Is it these black dots? Can anyone ID them and recommend what to spray them with?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 2nd December 2017 10:35am

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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Mark

There is no chewed section on the leaves that you uploaded. Those black dots cannot munch leaves. It would have been better if you uploaded the damaged leaves. Anyway here are some bugs that might have eaten your lemon leaves;
1. Caterpillar - can easily be seen - can be handpicked and dispose off or spray bacillus thuringiensis an organic dust that kills the caterpillar but not other friendly insects.
2. Snails and slugs - they operate at night so its hard to detect. scatter snail and slug bait around your tree.
3. Grasshopper, beetle, and earwigs - these are temporary pest. They don't stay long in one tree so its hard to detect. Handpick them if you see them. Spraying will not help much because they are transient.
4. Leafminer - can be easily detected by the silvery trail that they left behind just under the leaf. Spray pest oil every 5-14 days during growth flushes to control these pesky tunnelers.
Those are some of the possible suspects that might have feasted on your lemon tree's succulent young leaves.
Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 5th December 2017 8:35pm

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Original Post was last edited: 5th December 2017 8:56pm

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MarkWhite says...
Thanks for the tips! I'm wondering if some slugs/snails might have made it up to the 1st floor balcony, though I have herbs which are unaffected. I've added a couple more pics as the leaves are still being eaten (and I think one of the baby lemons has gone too! Boo!) - all the best, Mark
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 8th December 2017 11:55am

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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi MarkW

If you can't see any caterpillar ( some are very good in camouflage) The next possible crims are the female leafcutter bee from the family megachilidae. They look like your normal next door bees but they are mostly solitary and they use the cut leaves to paperwall their nest. The next suspect that can fly up your balcony is the evasion expert grasshopper. Before you know it its already gone. Hard to catch and detect just like the female leafcutter bee. It's very hard to play 'catch me if you can' with these two guys. Firstly, they have wings, secondly, they are transient. They don't stay too long in one place. Before you become aware what has happened they are already long gone and fat with a silly grin. I know it's not funny.
Anyway, they wont kill your precious lemon tree. They just want no nibble a few of your prized trees' luscious and succulent young shoots.
Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 10th December 2017 8:07pm

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Original Post was last edited: 11th December 2017 7:43pm

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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi MarkW

Just a follow up on our conversation last year. I have also experienced some critters (grasshopper, leaf cutter bees) nibbling the young leaves of my Mexican cream guava and jaboticaba. To stop the carnage I covered them with exclusion net with very fine holes and voila no more crims bothering them. So next time if you can't see any bugs eating them just cover them with fine holed exclusion net.

As Always....Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 27th January 2018 6:45am

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Original Post was last edited: 27th January 2018 6:48am

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MarkWhite says...
Thanks will do! Found a caterpillar (sure there must be many more) devastating my basil, so pyrethrum at the ready!!

Time: 27th January 2018 2:25pm

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Fruitylicious1 says...
HI Mark

Just be careful with the bees. Spray during late afternoon when they are no longer active to avoid hurting our little helpers.

Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 30th January 2018 8:19pm

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