Insects
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a vital part of growing a healthy and productive citrus grove. Scouting is the first step in IPM. By monitoring the groves, it provides the opportunity to identify pests or a potential pest. The next step is the proper identification of a pest or their damage. Once a pest is identified, management decisions can be made and may consist of preventative controls, use of biological controls, and chemical management.
Florida citrus hosts a wide array of arthropod pests including insects, mites and nematodes. Terrestrial molluscs, particularly snails, can also impact citrus production. These pests can cause direct damage to citrus through their feeding on fruit, foliage and roots. Indirectly, feeding wounds can serve as an entry point for plant pathogens. And, in the case of snails, they can also cause indirect damage by disrupting irrigation patterns. Some pests may also act as vectors of plant diseases such as the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) which spreads the citrus greening pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Florida citrus also has numerous beneficial species that help to maintain most potential pests below economically damaging levels.
