Pest identification
What's eating my calamondin orange?
Scale insects (soft and armoured)
Signs: Brown or white waxy bumps on stems and leaf undersides; heavy honeydew leads to black sooty mold coating foliage; weakens fruit production.
Control: Scrub off with a soft brush and soapy water; apply horticultural oil spray thoroughly; repeat every 2–3 weeks. Introduce parasitic wasps outdoors.
Mealybugs
Signs: White cottony clusters at leaf axils, in the fruit calyx, and along stems; sticky honeydew and sooty mold; fruit quality declines.
Control: Dab with alcohol; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil every 7–10 days. Indoors, isolate the plant immediately.
Citrus leafminer (Phyllocnistis citrella)
Signs: Silvery serpentine tunnels winding through young leaves; leaves curl and harden; worst on summer flush of growth outdoors.
Control: Remove and dispose of affected new leaves; spray new growth flushes with neem oil or spinosad; avoid excessive nitrogen that promotes soft growth.
Aphids
Signs: Colonies on tender new shoots and flower buds; curled, distorted leaves; honeydew and ants attracted to the plant.
Control: Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap spray. Manage ants (who protect aphid colonies from predators) with a sticky barrier on the trunk.
Keep calamondin orange pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Calamondin orange pests — FAQ
What is eating my calamondin orange?
Calamondin orange is attacked by a range of pests both indoors (as a houseplant) and outdoors. Scale insects and mealybugs are the worst indoor threats; outdoors, citrus leafminer tunnels through new growth and aphids mass on shoots. Birds peck at ripe fruit, and in warmer gardens vine weevil and caterpillars also cause damage.
How do I get rid of scale insects (soft and armoured) on calamondin orange?
Brown or white waxy bumps on stems and leaf undersides; heavy honeydew leads to black sooty mold coating foliage; weakens fruit production. Scrub off with a soft brush and soapy water; apply horticultural oil spray thoroughly; repeat every 2–3 weeks. Introduce parasitic wasps outdoors.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on calamondin orange?
White cottony clusters at leaf axils, in the fruit calyx, and along stems; sticky honeydew and sooty mold; fruit quality declines. Dab with alcohol; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil every 7–10 days. Indoors, isolate the plant immediately.
How do I get rid of citrus leafminer (phyllocnistis citrella) on calamondin orange?
Silvery serpentine tunnels winding through young leaves; leaves curl and harden; worst on summer flush of growth outdoors. Remove and dispose of affected new leaves; spray new growth flushes with neem oil or spinosad; avoid excessive nitrogen that promotes soft growth.
How do I get rid of aphids on calamondin orange?
Colonies on tender new shoots and flower buds; curled, distorted leaves; honeydew and ants attracted to the plant. Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap spray. Manage ants (who protect aphid colonies from predators) with a sticky barrier on the trunk.